Bad man Quote by C.S. Lewis
““Son,'he said,' ye cannot in your present state understand eternity...That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, "No future bliss can make up for it," not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. And of some sinful pleasure they say "Let me have but this and I'll take the consequences": little dreaming how damnation will spread back and back into their past and contaminate the pleasure of the sin. Both processes begin even before death. The good man's past begins to change so that his forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of Heaven: the bad man's past already conforms to his badness and is filled only with dreariness. And that is why...the Blessed will say "We have never lived anywhere except in Heaven, : and the Lost, "We were always in Hell." And both will speak truly.””
About This Quote
The excerpt explains that humans misinterpret eternity, seeing suffering as endless, whereas divine perspective reverses time, turning pain into glory; similarly, sinful pleasure leads to retroactive damnation.
In simple terms: Eternity flips suffering and joy, altering their meaning.
Key Takeaway
Reflect on how perspective changes the value of experiences.
Themes
theology
time
morality
Mood
philosophical
contemplative
Type
theological
ethical
When to use this quote
- spiritual contemplation
- ethical decision-making
- life after death
Key Concepts
eternal perspective
redemption
consequence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does changing perspective affect suffering?
- What does “retroactive damnation” imply about moral responsibility?
A Different Perspective
The view assumes a specific religious framework.
