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
Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Acting with love towards others can cultivate genuine feelings of love.
C. S. Lewis suggests that the act of caring for others should not be contingent on our feelings. By behaving as if we love our neighbors, we can create a positive environment that fosters genuine love and connection, regardless of our initial emotions.
Themes
LoveActNeighborsEmpathyKindness
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a community service event to inspire volunteers.
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.
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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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Similar quotes
It is in deep solitude and silence that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brother and sister.
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Loving means being open to miracles, to victories and defeats, to everything that happens each day that was given us to walk upon the face of the Earth.
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If you want your life to be a small part of eternity, to be lucid even in the heart of madness, love... Love with all your strength, love as though it is all you know how to do, love enough to make the gods themselves jealous... for it is in love that all ugliness reveals its beauty.
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Don't we forgive everything of a lover? We forgive selfishness, desire, guile. As long as we are the motive for it...There are some European words you can never translate properly into another language.
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When you call me close to tell me your body is not beautiful I want to summon the eyes and hidden mouths of stone and light and water to testify against you.
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Love is the final end of the world's history, the Amen of the universe.
NovalisRead