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
If each side had been frankly contending for its own real wish, they would all have kept within the bounds of reason and courtesy; but just because the contention is reversed and each side is fighting the other side’s battle, all the bitterness which really flows from thwarted self-righteousness and obstinacy and from the accumulated grudges of the last ten years is concealed from them by the nominal or official "Unselfishness" of what they are doing or, at least, held to be excused by it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores how conflicts can arise when parties mask their true desires with a facade of selflessness.
C. S. Lewis underscores the irony in human conflict where individuals, while presenting themselves as altruistic, are often driven by self-interest and unresolved grudges. This dichotomy leads to a deep-seated bitterness as parties engage in battles that are not inherently their own, revealing the complexities of human motivations and the hidden resentments that can distort intentions, ultimately challenging the notion of genuine selflessness in conflict.
Themes
ConflictSelflessnessMotivationResentmentHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on social issues, one might use this quote to highlight hidden motivations among participants.
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
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