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I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.
C. S. Lewis
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Silence can be more painful than words when it comes to understanding someone's suffering.

C. S. Lewis highlights the profound impact of silence on others' emotional well-being. While verbal expressions of sympathy can sometimes cause pain, the absence of acknowledgment can lead to deeper feelings of isolation and hurt, suggesting that communication of empathy is crucial in understanding and alleviating someone's suffering.

Themes

SilenceSufferingEmpathyCommunicationUnderstanding

In practice

Example use cases

Sharing this quote during a mental health awareness seminar to emphasize the importance of communication.

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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.
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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
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