All things Quote by C. S. Lewis
“It is good that the window should be transparent, because the street or garden beyond it is opaque. How if you saw through the garden too? It is no use trying to 'see through' [everything]. If you see through everything, then everything is transparent. But a wholly transparent world is an invisible world. To 'see through' all things is the same as not to see.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis, 1940
The quote warns that trying to understand everything fully makes reality lose its mystery and depth, rendering life invisible.
In simple terms: Seeing everything makes life lose meaning.
Accept mystery, avoid over‑analysis.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- spiritual practice
- creative writing
- critical thinking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of life benefit from ambiguity?
- How does mystery enrich daily experience?
Attempting total transparency erodes richness of experience.