Bad temper Quote by C.S. Lewis
““One of the dangers of having a lot of money is that you may be quite satisfied with the kinds of happiness money can give, and so fail to realize your need for God. If everything seems to come simply by signing checks, you may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God. Now, quite plainly natural gifts carry with them a similar danger. If you have sound nerves and intelligence and health and popularity and a good upbringing, you are likely to be quite satisfied with your character as it is. “Why drag God into it?” you may ask. A certain level of good conduct comes fairly easily to you. You are not one of those wretched creatures who are always being tripped up by sex or dipsomania or nervousness or bad temper. Everyone says you are a nice chap, and between ourselves, you agree with them. You are quite likely to believe that all this niceness is your own doing, and you may easily not feel the need for any better kind of goodness. Often people who have all these natural kinds of goodness cannot be brought to recognize their need for Christ at all until one day, the natural goodness lets them down, and their self-satisfaction is shattered. In other words, it is hard for those who are rich in this sense to enter the kingdom.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis, 1940
Wealth and natural talents can create false self‑reliance, obscuring our need for divine dependence.
In simple terms: Money and gifts may mask our need for God.
Key Takeaway
Recognize dependence on God despite success.
Themes
spirituality
humility
self‑awareness
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
religious
philosophical
When to use this quote
- wealth management
- personal growth
- spiritual counseling
Key Concepts
theology
psychology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance gratitude for blessings with humility?
- What practices keep you aware of dependence on God?
A Different Perspective
Even the blessed can become complacent without recognizing their limits.
