CS Lewis tackles BIG QUESTIONS: God, love, myth, and more

Introduction. CS Lewis is know for his bestselling fantasy books, but he was as gifted a philosopher as he was a storyteller. In this Memo discover his insights on the nature of God, the paradox of love, and more👇

God is not just a source of great comfort - he's also "the supreme terror." God is "the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from." We want to hide from God because as the source of all moral values, his judgement of our moral failings is a source of shame.

The problem with pride. CS Lewis writes: "A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." Pride leaves no room in one's mind for ideals, goals, & people grander than oneself.

To love or not to love. Love carries risk. When you fall in love, "your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken." But not loving carries a risk too - that of the heart becoming "unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."

CS Lewis differentiates between things that have survival value and things that add "value to survival." Being rational and looking out for one's interests has survival value, but developing friendships and making sacrifices for those we love adds value to survival.

On friendship. Friendship is born when an unexpected common link is discovered. This common link could be an "insight, interest, or taste" that they share. To make friends easily, look for commonalities.

On Tyranny. CS Lewis writes: "It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies." Moral busybodies are controlling bureaucrats who tyrannize "for the good of the victims." They're the worst because they have their own conscience's approval.

Myths are not a "retreat from reality," but rather a rediscovery of it. CS Lewis writes a myth "takes all the things you know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the veil of familiarity."

Sometimes it is difficult to live upto the ideals contained in one's beliefs: "It's so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see one."

Bottom line. To make friends look for common ground to stand on, if reality feels jaded then rediscover its vitality through myths, and make sure you don't lose things that add value to survival for things that just have survival value.