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
Real joy seems to me almost as unlike security or prosperity as it is unlike agony.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True joy is distinct from both material wealth and severe suffering.
In this quote, C. S. Lewis expresses the idea that genuine joy is a profound experience that stands apart from mere feelings of safety or affluence, and it also differs fundamentally from pain or agony. Joy transcends these concepts, suggesting that it is a deeper and more fulfilling state of being that comes from within, rather than from external circumstances.
Themes
JoyHappinessSecurityProsperitySuffering
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about finding true happiness beyond material possessions.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes βI 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.
C. S. LewisRead
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C. S. LewisRead
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.
C. S. LewisRead
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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Similar quotes
To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.
Roger EbertRead
Waiting to be happy limits our brain's potential for success, whereas cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which drives performance upward.
Shawn AchorRead
Success does not mean happiness. Check out any celebrity magazine to look for examples to disabuse you of thinking that being beautiful, successful or rich will make you happy.
Shawn AchorRead
Joy is that kind of happiness that does not depend on what happens.
David Steindl-RastRead
Happy the man whose wish and care a few paternal acres bound, content to breathe his native air in his own ground.
Alexander PopeRead
Every December, I host a tree-trimming party. I serve chili with cornbread and lots of good wine. It's a wonderful party, and it shows how much adults like to play.
Maya AngelouRead