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
Whatever men expect, they soon come to think they have a right to; the sense of disappointment can, with very little skill on our part, be turned into a sense of injury. (senior devil speaking)
Interpretation
What this quote means
Expectations can lead to feelings of entitlement and disappointment when not met.
This quote by C. S. Lewis highlights the concept of expectations and how they shape our perceptions of entitlement. When individuals anticipate certain outcomes or behaviors from others, they may feel that these expectations create a right to them, and if those expectations are not realized, they often feel a sense of injury or disappointment, which can be manipulated to fuel further negativity in relationships or society at large.
Themes
ExpectationsDisappointmentEntitlementInjuryRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about managing expectations in personal relationships.
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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