A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
A moderately bad man knows he is not very good: a thoroughly bad man thinks he is alright. This is common sense really. You understand sleep when you are awake, not well you are sleeping.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Self-awareness is crucial to understanding one's morality and actions.
C. S. Lewis emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in moral understanding. A person who acknowledges their shortcomings can learn and improve, while someone who is blind to their faults remains stagnant. He uses the analogy of sleeping and waking to illustrate how clarity comes when one is fully conscious and aware of their situation, suggesting that recognizing one’s flaws is part of growth and wisdom.
Themes
Self-AwarenessMoralityGrowthWisdomReflection
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal growth.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
C. S. LewisRead
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