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
She's the sort of woman who lives for others - you can tell the others by their hunted expression.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how some individuals sacrifice their own needs for the sake of others, often leaving those around them feeling burdened or pressured.
C. S. Lewis captures the essence of selflessness in individuals who dedicate themselves to the service of others. However, this devotion can create an unbalanced dynamic where those being served may feel trapped, as if they are constantly under scrutiny or obligation. The 'hunted expression' suggests a sense of distress among those who may feel suffocated by the expectations imposed upon them by such selfless individuals.
Themes
SelflessnessRelationshipsServiceSacrificeBurden
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the challenges of selfless leadership.
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.
C. S. LewisRead
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
C. S. LewisRead
Similar quotes
Neither old people nor sour people seem to make friends easily; for there is little that is pleasant in them.
AristotleRead
We long to connect, all of us. We long to be noticed, to be cared for, to matter. Generosity is the invisible salve on our wound of loneliness, one that benefits both sides, over and over again.
Seth GodinRead
If you approach each new person you meet in a spirit of adventure, you will find yourself endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and personality that you encounter.
Eleanor RooseveltRead
It is not good to see people who have been pretending strength all their lives lose it even for a minute.
Lillian HellmanRead
Too often, when transgender people die, family members or funeral homes will end up dressing a body of a transgender person in the garments of the gender that they were assigned at birth instead of their gender identity. They're often dead-named and misgendered.
Sarah McbrideRead
I think a lot of the time in films, men get roles where they create their own destiny and women are just tools, supporters for that.
Ellen PageRead