--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But if you are a poor creature--poisoned…" description: "\"“But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/263/c-s-lewis-121_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_1144113.jpg" --- # But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched… ![“But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion--nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/263/c-s-lewis-121_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_1144113.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/263/c-s-lewis-121_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_1144113.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/263/c-s-lewis-121_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_1144113.jpg) > ““But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion--nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends--do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day He will fling it on the scrap-heap and give you a new one. And then you may astonish us all - not least yourself: for you have learned your driving in a hard school.”” [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lewis offers comfort to those burdened by personal hardships, urging perseverance and faith in divine support. **In simple terms:** Even in suffering, keep moving forward with hope. Key Takeaway Trust that hardship can be transformed into growth. Themes suffering faith resilience hope spirituality Mood empathetic encouraging Type inspirational spiritual When to use this quote - addiction recovery - mental health struggles - poverty - abuse survivors Key Concepts theology psychology personal development Questions to Reflect On - What personal challenges can you reframe as growth opportunities? - How does faith influence your coping strategies? A Different Perspective Divine assistance may not always be evident, leading to doubt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) [Best friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friends/) [Inferiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inferiority/) [Inferiority complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inferiority-complex/) ## Related quotes > [But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned-by-a-wretched-up-bringing-in-2/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“One has followed the other in an endless circle, for it is certain that as man's insight increases so he finds both wretchedness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/one-has-followed-the-other-in-an-endless-circle-for-it-is-certain/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [When a man gets to despair he knows that all his thinking will never get him out. He will only get out by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-a-man-gets-to-despair-he-knows-that-all-his-thinking-will-never/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“We all know someone who criticizes us to diminish our confidence or belittle our achievements. A person so disturbed, they project their insecurity onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-wallace/we-all-know-someone-who-criticizes-us-to-diminish-our-confidence-or/) [Carlos Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-wallace/) > [If your ego is hurt you may become angry. Understand that ego itself is a disease. Dissolve your ego as far as possible. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-ego-is-hurt-you-may-become-angry-understand-that-ego-itself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't have an inferiority complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-giroud/i-don-t-have-an-inferiority-complex/) [Olivier Giroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-giroud/) > [“If the next man's education level makes you feel inferior, that's an inferiority complex. Inferiority starts with self-esteem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-johnson-jr/if-the-next-man-s-education-level-makes-you-feel-inferior-that-s-an/) [Henry Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-johnson-jr/) > [When I was young I had so many inferiority complexes. I had an inferiority complex because I didn’t go to university. I had an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/when-i-was-young-i-had-so-many-inferiority-complexes-i-had-an/) [Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/) > [“It is only the people who are lacking, or bad, or inferior, who have to be good at things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/it-is-only-the-people-who-are-lacking-or-bad-or-inferior-who-have-to/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [So I developed very early a massive inferiority complex, and I've told the story often about how that inspired me later in life to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-j-mitchell/so-i-developed-very-early-a-massive-inferiority-complex-and-i-ve-told/) [George J. Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-j-mitchell/) > [Strutting and preening is, in fact, the surest sign of an inferiority complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/strutting-and-preening-is-in-fact-the-surest-sign-of-an-inferiority/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“My paycheck is so small it has an inferiority complex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-kane/my-paycheck-is-so-small-it-has-an-inferiority-complex/) Mallory Kane > [Vince McMahon has the worst inferiority complex of anybody in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cornette/vince-mcmahon-has-the-worst-inferiority-complex-of-anybody-in-history/) [Jim Cornette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cornette/) > [“If someone wants to be a king, know that he's just a clown! Anyone who sees himself as superior to others and tries to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-someone-wants-to-be-a-king-know-that-he-s-just-a-clown-anyone-who/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The world, and the great and free United States in particular, is full of narrow-minded, ignorant, moronic, bigoted, cowardly, self-righteous, anemic, pig-headed, stupid, puritanical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-world-and-the-great-and-free-united-states-in-particular-is-full/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) ## More by C.S. Lewis > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Isn’t it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified of the other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a-fierce-left-and-a-fierce/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world: but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/all-hell-is-smaller-than-one-pebble-of-your-earthly-world-but-it-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“the greatest service we can do to education today is to teach fewer subjects. No one has time to do more than a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-greatest-service-we-can-do-to-education-today-is-to-teach-fewer/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men religious bad men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-the-divine-call-does-not-make-us-better-it-will-make-us-very-much/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-husband-is-the-head-of-the-wife-just-in-so-far-as-he-is-to-her/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“We use a most unfortunate idiom when we say, of a lustful man prowling the streets, that he "wants a woman". Strictly speaking, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-use-a-most-unfortunate-idiom-when-we-say-of-a-lustful-man-prowling/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Después de cada fracaso, pedid perdón, levantaos del suelo y volved a intentarlo. Muy a menudo, lo que Dios nos otorga primero no es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/despu-s-de-cada-fracaso-pedid-perd-n-levantaos-del-suelo-y-volved-a/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/then-two-wonders-happened-at-the-same-moment-one-was-that-the-voice/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/because-free-will-though-it-makes-evil-possible-is-also-the-only/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless, you need not always be grave. For jokes as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/laugh-and-fear-not-creatures-now-that-you-are-no-longer-dumb-and/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“When two humans have lived together for many years it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of face which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-two-humans-have-lived-together-for-many-years-it-usually-happens/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“He sees as well as you do that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/he-sees-as-well-as-you-do-that-courage-is-not-simply-one-of-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is easy to say that anything you find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-you-do-not-take-the-distinction-between-good-and-bad-very/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/now-the-whole-offer-which-christianity-makes-is-this-that-we-can-if/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) [Explore all 1,165 C.S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Best friend quotes > [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [I fell in love with my best friend, but I know that if it doesn't last, it will never be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-yang/i-fell-in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-i-know-that-if-it-doesn-t-last/) Shelly Yang > [A best friend isn't someone who's just always there for you.Its someone who understands you a bit more than you understand yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-best-friend-isn-t-someone-who-s-just-always-there-for-you-its/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [This goes out to someone that was Once the most important person in my life I didn't realize it at the time I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aviation/this-goes-out-to-someone-that-was-once-the-most-important-person-in/) Aviation > [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [Sometimes the right people can make your day. They're called best friends :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-the-right-people-can-make-your-day-they-re-called-best/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Here is your third gift from Me once again..I had a fourth gift it was about me making a video telling you how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilbear/here-is-your-third-gift-from-me-once-again-i-had-a-fourth-gift-it-was/) [LilBear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilbear/) > [Our friendship is like a cup of tea¦a special blend of you and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orebela-gbenga/our-friendship-is-like-a-cup-of-tea-a-special-blend-of-you-and-me/) [Orebela Gbenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orebela-gbenga/) > [When you have the most beautiful best friend in the world what more could I ask for I love you Tay :) you mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick/when-you-have-the-most-beautiful-best-friend-in-the-world-what-more/) [Nick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick/) > [I believe in God, because he is the only thing that kept me going. He's my best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/i-believe-in-god-because-he-is-the-only-thing-that-kept-me-going-he-s/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [ONE stone enough to break a glass,,, ONE sentence is enough to break a heart,,, FIRST sight is enough to fall in love,,, ONE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-stone-enough-to-break-a-glass-one-sentence-is-enough-to-break-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A Real Man will help build his woman's self esteem not break it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-s-voice/a-real-man-will-help-build-his-woman-s-self-esteem-not-break-it/) Lisa's Voice [Browse all 6,524 Best friend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion--nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends--do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day He will fling it on the scrap-heap and give you a new one. And then you may astonish us all - not least yourself: for you have learned your driving in a hard school.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. 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