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C.S. Lewis

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Thought is what we start from: the simple, intimate, immediate datum. Matter is the inferred thing, the mystery.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
If a mother is mourning not for what she has lost but for what her dead child has lost, it is a comfort to believe that the child has not lost the end for which it was created. And it is a comfort to believe that she herself, in losing her chief or only natural happiness, has not lost a greater thing, that she may still hope to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever." A comfort to the God-aimed, eternal spirit within her. But not to her motherhood. The specifically maternal happiness must be written off. Never, in any place or time, will she have her son on her knees, or bathe him, or tell him a story, or plan for his future, or see her grandchild.
From A Grief Observed
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death
The very power of [textbook writers] depends on the fact that they are dealing with a boy: a boy who thinks he is ‘doing’ his ‘English prep’ and has no notion that ethics, theology, and politics are all at stake. It is not a theory they put into his mind, but an assumption, which ten years hence, its origin forgotten and its presence unconscious, will condition him to take one side in a controversy which he has never recognized as a controversy at all.
From The Abolition of Man
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.
From Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, #4)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Onward and Upward! To Narnia and the North!
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to believe in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
It is a very funny thing that the sleepier you are, the longer you take about getting to bed.
From The Silver Chair
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
It is hard to have patience with people who say, ‘There is no death’ or ‘Death doesn’t matter.’ There is death. And whatever is matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as wel say that birth doesn’t matter.
From A Grief Observed
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death
Do not dare not to dare.
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
In our world," said Eustace, "a star is a huge ball of flaming gas."
Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is, but only what it is made of.
From The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better.
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!
From The Magician’s Nephew
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects--with their Christianity latent.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
Life isn't all fricasseed frogs and eel pie.
From The Silver Chair
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Funny
Here the whole world (stars, water, air,
And field, and forest, as they were
Reflected in a single mind)
Like cast off clothes was left behind
In ashes, yet with hopes that she,
Re-born from holy poverty,
In lenten lands, hereafter may
Resume them on her Easter Day."

(Epitaph for Joy Davidman)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death, Hope
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
We are always falling in love or quarreling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill and recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.
From The Weight of Glory
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education, Life
In those days a boy on the classical side officially did almost nothing but classics. I think this was wise; the greatest service we can to education today is to teach few subjects. No one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.
From The Four Loves
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God's love for us does not.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think.
From The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is to remain what we call "ourselves," to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time be "good.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all—and more amusing.
From The Screwtape Letters
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
Thought is what we start from: the simple, intimate, immediate datum. Matter is the inferred thing, the mystery.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
If a mother is mourning not for what she has lost but for what her dead child has lost, it is a comfort to believe that the child has not lost the end for which it was created. And it is a comfort to believe that she herself, in losing her chief or only natural happiness, has not lost a greater thing, that she may still hope to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever." A comfort to the God-aimed, eternal spirit within her. But not to her motherhood. The specifically maternal happiness must be written off. Never, in any place or time, will she have her son on her knees, or bathe him, or tell him a story, or plan for his future, or see her grandchild.
From A Grief Observed
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death
The very power of [textbook writers] depends on the fact that they are dealing with a boy: a boy who thinks he is ‘doing’ his ‘English prep’ and has no notion that ethics, theology, and politics are all at stake. It is not a theory they put into his mind, but an assumption, which ten years hence, its origin forgotten and its presence unconscious, will condition him to take one side in a controversy which he has never recognized as a controversy at all.
From The Abolition of Man
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.
From Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, #4)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Onward and Upward! To Narnia and the North!
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to believe in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
It is a very funny thing that the sleepier you are, the longer you take about getting to bed.
From The Silver Chair
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
It is hard to have patience with people who say, ‘There is no death’ or ‘Death doesn’t matter.’ There is death. And whatever is matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as wel say that birth doesn’t matter.
From A Grief Observed
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death
Do not dare not to dare.
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
In our world," said Eustace, "a star is a huge ball of flaming gas."
Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is, but only what it is made of.
From The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better.
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!
From The Magician’s Nephew
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects--with their Christianity latent.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
Life isn't all fricasseed frogs and eel pie.
From The Silver Chair
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Funny
Here the whole world (stars, water, air,
And field, and forest, as they were
Reflected in a single mind)
Like cast off clothes was left behind
In ashes, yet with hopes that she,
Re-born from holy poverty,
In lenten lands, hereafter may
Resume them on her Easter Day."

(Epitaph for Joy Davidman)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death, Hope
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
We are always falling in love or quarreling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill and recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.
From The Weight of Glory
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education, Life
In those days a boy on the classical side officially did almost nothing but classics. I think this was wise; the greatest service we can to education today is to teach few subjects. No one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.
From The Four Loves
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God's love for us does not.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think.
From The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is to remain what we call "ourselves," to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time be "good.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all—and more amusing.
From The Screwtape Letters
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
Thought is what we start from: the simple, intimate, immediate datum. Matter is the inferred thing, the mystery.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Philosophical
If a mother is mourning not for what she has lost but for what her dead child has lost, it is a comfort to believe that the child has not lost the end for which it was created. And it is a comfort to believe that she herself, in losing her chief or only natural happiness, has not lost a greater thing, that she may still hope to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever." A comfort to the God-aimed, eternal spirit within her. But not to her motherhood. The specifically maternal happiness must be written off. Never, in any place or time, will she have her son on her knees, or bathe him, or tell him a story, or plan for his future, or see her grandchild.
From A Grief Observed
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death
The very power of [textbook writers] depends on the fact that they are dealing with a boy: a boy who thinks he is ‘doing’ his ‘English prep’ and has no notion that ethics, theology, and politics are all at stake. It is not a theory they put into his mind, but an assumption, which ten years hence, its origin forgotten and its presence unconscious, will condition him to take one side in a controversy which he has never recognized as a controversy at all.
From The Abolition of Man
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.
From Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, #4)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Onward and Upward! To Narnia and the North!
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to believe in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
It is a very funny thing that the sleepier you are, the longer you take about getting to bed.
From The Silver Chair
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Life
It is hard to have patience with people who say, ‘There is no death’ or ‘Death doesn’t matter.’ There is death. And whatever is matters. And whatever happens has consequences, and it and they are irrevocable and irreversible. You might as wel say that birth doesn’t matter.
From A Grief Observed
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death
Do not dare not to dare.
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
In our world," said Eustace, "a star is a huge ball of flaming gas."
Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is, but only what it is made of.
From The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better.
From The Horse and His Boy
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!
From The Magician’s Nephew
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects--with their Christianity latent.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
Life isn't all fricasseed frogs and eel pie.
From The Silver Chair
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Funny
Here the whole world (stars, water, air,
And field, and forest, as they were
Reflected in a single mind)
Like cast off clothes was left behind
In ashes, yet with hopes that she,
Re-born from holy poverty,
In lenten lands, hereafter may
Resume them on her Easter Day."

(Epitaph for Joy Davidman)
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Death, Hope
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
We are always falling in love or quarreling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill and recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.
From The Weight of Glory
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education, Life
In those days a boy on the classical side officially did almost nothing but classics. I think this was wise; the greatest service we can to education today is to teach few subjects. No one has time to do more than a very few things well before he is twenty, and when we force a boy to be a mediocrity in a dozen subjects we destroy his standards, perhaps for life.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Education
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.
From The Four Loves
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God's love for us does not.
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think.
From The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ. But it is far easier than what we are all trying to do instead. For what we are trying to do is to remain what we call "ourselves," to keep personal happiness as our great aim in life, and yet at the same time be "good.
From Mere Christianity
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Inspirational
A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all—and more amusing.
From The Screwtape Letters
NOT YET RATING ▼
Topic: Religion
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