Another world Quote by C.S. Lewis
““The Christian says, 'Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that country and to help others to do the same.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, 1945
Desires arise only when something exists to satisfy them; unmet desires hint at a spiritual realm beyond earthly life.
In simple terms: Desires point to something beyond this world.
Seek the higher purpose behind unmet longings.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- religious practice
- ethical living
- helping others
- life planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does your deepest unmet desire reveal about your values?
- How can you honor earthly blessings while pursuing higher aims?
Earthly pleasures may never fully satisfy deeper spiritual longings.