“Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other.”
Explore This Quote Further
Quote Analysis
In this quote by C.S. Lewis, the author explores the concept of how our choices shape our very essence and the direction of our lives. Through our daily decisions, we are either aligning ourselves with harmony, peace, and love, or we are spiraling into madness, rage, and everlasting loneliness. This quote serves as a powerful reminder of the power we have in shaping our own destinies through the choices we make.
Modern Relevance
In this thought-provoking quote by C.S. Lewis, he highlights the profound impact our choices have on shaping who we are as individuals. This idea continues to hold relevance in the modern world as we navigate through a myriad of decisions that ultimately shape our character and our relationships with others. The choices we make day in and day out have the power to either lead us towards a life of harmony and fulfillment, or towards one filled with strife and discord. It serves as a reminder of the importance of mindfulness and intentionality in the choices we make as we strive towards becoming the best version of ourselves.
C.S. Lewis on the Power of Choice
"Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other." - C.S. Lewis
Reflection Questions:
In this powerful quote by C.S. Lewis, he explores the idea that every choice we make shapes the central part of who we are. It poses the question of whether our choices are leading us towards a state of harmony or discord. Reflect on the following questions to consider how your choices are shaping your life:
- What recent choices have I made that have brought me closer to harmony with myself, others, and God?
- In what areas of my life do I feel like I am drifting towards a "hellish creature" state? What changes can I make to steer myself back towards a more positive path?
- How can I become more mindful of the choices I make on a daily basis, and ensure they align with the kind of person I aspire to be?
- Have there been times when I have made choices that have led to feelings of madness, horror, or rage? How can I learn from these experiences and make different choices in the future?
- What steps can I take to actively work towards becoming a "heavenly creature" filled with joy, peace, knowledge, and power?
Similar quotes
“Remember, we Christians think man lives for ever. Therefore, what really matters is those little marks or twists on the central, inside part of the soul which are going to turn it, in the long run, into a heavenly or a hellish creature.”
“Hell is a state of mind - ye never said a truer word. And every state of mind, left to itself, every shutting up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind - is, in the end, Hell. But Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakeable remains.”
“You cannot love a fellow creature fully till you love God.”
“Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.”
“Plato rightly taught that virtue is one. You cannot be kind unless you have all the other virtues. If, being cowardly, conceited, and slothful, you have never yet done a fellow creature great mischief, that is only because your neighbour's welfare has not yet happened to conflict with your safety, self-approval, or ease. Every vice leads to cruelty.”
“His Omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible. You may attribute miracles to Him, but not nonsense. This is no limit to His power. If you choose to say, ‘God can give a creature free will and at the same time withhold free will from it,’ you have not succeeded in saying anything about God: meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words, 'God can.' It remains true that all things are possible with God: the intrinsic impossibilities are not things but nonentities. It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of His creatures to carry out both of two mutually exclusive alternatives; not because His power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God.”