Face to face Quote by C.S. Lewis
““The complaint was the answer. To have heard myself making it was to be answered. Lightly men talk of saying what they mean. Often when he was teaching me to write in Greek the Fox would say, 'Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than what you really mean; that's the whole art and joy of words.' A glib saying. When the time comes to you at which you will be forced at last to utter the speech which has lain at the center of your soul for years which you have, all that time, idiot-like, been saying over and over, you'll not talk about the joy of words. I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Joy of Words” (hypothetical) (null)
True expression requires confronting the deepest truth within, not just surface words.
In simple terms: Speak your deepest truth.
Key Takeaway
Seek authenticity in speech.
Themes
truth
communication
self‑knowledge
artistry
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing
- public speaking
- personal growth
- creative work
Key Concepts
philosophy
language
self‑reflection
Questions to Reflect On
- What truth have you avoided saying?
- How can you practice honest expression?
A Different Perspective
Finding deep truth can be painful and difficult.
![“Gerber, who studied seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Ottoman court decisions, points to examples of Ottoman muftis (official jurists) who, despite being paid by the government, “did not hesitate to speak out against the government when [they] came face to face with an injustice.” quote by Mustafa Akyol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/790/mustafa-akyol-15064_face-to-face_gerber-who-studied-seventeenth-and-eight_22267.jpg)
