---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Designed for good [my friend was…"
description: "\"“Designed for good [my friend was sputtering and throwing smoke]. The soul was not designed for this, I thought. We were supposed to be good, all of us..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/c-s-lewis-121_friendship_designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputteri_254521.jpg"
---

#  Designed for good \[my friend was sputtering and throwing…

![“Designed for good &#91;my friend was sputtering and throwing smoke&#93;. The soul was not designed for this, I thought. We were supposed to be good, all of us. We were supposed to be good.” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/c-s-lewis-121_friendship_designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputteri_254521.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/c-s-lewis-121_friendship_designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputteri_254521.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/c-s-lewis-121_friendship_designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputteri_254521.jpg)

> ““Designed for good \[my friend was sputtering and throwing smoke\]. The soul was not designed for this, I thought. We were supposed to be good, all of us. We were supposed to be good.””

[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.

Human nature is meant for goodness, yet we often act contrary to that design, causing inner conflict.

**In simple terms:** We are meant to be good, but act badly.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and align actions with innate goodness.

Themes

morality human nature conflict

Mood

reflective somber

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- ethical decision making
- relationship counseling

Key Concepts

ethical design inner conflict self‑deception

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you reconcile your actions with your belief in inherent goodness?
- What habits keep you from acting kindly?

A Different Perspective

Human beings can rationalize harmful behavior despite innate goodness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Good friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-friend/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/)

## Related quotes

> [“No one should be able to tail me unnoticed, no matter how good they are.I'm supposed to be better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santino-hassell/no-one-should-be-able-to-tail-me-unnoticed-no-matter-how-good-they/)

[Santino Hassell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santino-hassell/)

> [I was very sorry when I found out that your intentions were good and not what I supposed they were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sitting-bull/i-was-very-sorry-when-i-found-out-that-your-intentions-were-good-and/)

[Sitting Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sitting-bull/)

> [Good enough is good enough. We're not supposed to be perfect. We're supposed to be complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/good-enough-is-good-enough-we-re-not-supposed-to-be-perfect-we-re/)

[Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/)

> [An organization, no matter how well designed, is only as good as the people who live and work in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-hock/an-organization-no-matter-how-well-designed-is-only-as-good-as-the/)

[Dee Hock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-hock/)

> [In the end, I hope there's a little note somewhere that says I designed a good computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/in-the-end-i-hope-there-s-a-little-note-somewhere-that-says-i/)

[Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/)

> [Nature designed us to be of good cheer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/nature-designed-us-to-be-of-good-cheer/)

[Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/)

> [There was a long time in my life where I made music that I thought my friends would like, or that I thought would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-brown/there-was-a-long-time-in-my-life-where-i-made-music-that-i-thought-my/)

[Danny Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-brown/)

> [I was only going to go to college because that's what I thought you were supposed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/i-was-only-going-to-go-to-college-because-that-s-what-i-thought-you/)

[Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/)

> [“Thought we were supposed to be friends? Best friends?” “We are , Sev.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/thought-we-were-supposed-to-be-friends-best-friends-we-are-sev/)

[J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/)

> [I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don’t exist, not irritating me to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-thought-you-were-supposed-to-be-pretending-i-don-t-exist-not/)

[Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/)

> [You don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be. Look at me now a man who won't let himself be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-in-chains/you-don-t-understand-who-they-thought-i-was-supposed-to-be-look-at-me/)

[Alice In Chains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-in-chains/)

> [Until I came out publicly, I wasn't really living my fullest life. I was trying to be who I thought I was supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-deville/until-i-came-out-publicly-i-wasn-t-really-living-my-fullest-life-i/)

[Sonya Deville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-deville/)

> [I thought I was supposed to have a fake six-pack in this scene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-thought-i-was-supposed-to-have-a-fake-six-pack-in-this-scene/)

[Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/)

> [I thought you were supposed to be flying this thing, not pleasuring it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallagher/i-thought-you-were-supposed-to-be-flying-this-thing-not-pleasuring-it/)

Paul Gallagher

> [I always thought that I was supposed to force my issues down and keep them hidden with a smile. That was until I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-brisnehan/i-always-thought-that-i-was-supposed-to-force-my-issues-down-and-keep/)

Alexander Brisnehan

## 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 Friendship quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/)

Maureen Andeson

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/)

Unknwon

> [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/)

[Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/)

> [If you love some one for who they are not for there body or how many friend so when you say I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/if-you-love-some-one-for-who-they-are-not-for-there-body-or-how-many/)

Unknow

> [“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/)

> [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/)

[Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/)

> [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/)

> [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/)

[Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/)

> [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/)

[Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/)

[Browse all 45,469 Friendship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Designed for good [my friend was sputtering and throwing smoke]. The soul was not designed for this, I thought. We were supposed to be good, all of us. We were supposed to be good.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "C.S. Lewis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputtering-and-throwing-smoke-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Friendship"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputtering-and-throwing-smoke-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/c-s-lewis-121_friendship_designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputteri_254521.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/c-s-lewis-121_friendship_designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputteri_254521.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/c-s-lewis-121_friendship_designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputteri_254521.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Designed for good [my friend was sputtering and throwing smoke]. The soul was not designed for this, I…” — C.S. Lewis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "C.S. Lewis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Designed for good [my friend was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputtering-and-throwing-smoke-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/designed-for-good-my-friend-was-sputtering-and-throwing-smoke-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
