--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hence the uneasiness which they arouse in…" description: "\"“Hence the uneasiness which they arouse in those who, for whatever reason, wish to keep us wholly imprisoned in the immediate conflict. That perhaps is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/c-s-lewis-121_escapism_hence-the-uneasiness-which-they-arouse-i_1806537.jpg" --- # Hence the uneasiness which they arouse in those who, for… ![“Hence the uneasiness which they arouse in those who, for whatever reason, wish to keep us wholly imprisoned in the immediate conflict. That perhaps is why people are so ready with the charge of "escape." I never fully understood it till my friend Professor Tolkien asked me the very simple…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/c-s-lewis-121_escapism_hence-the-uneasiness-which-they-arouse-i_1806537.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/c-s-lewis-121_escapism_hence-the-uneasiness-which-they-arouse-i_1806537.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/c-s-lewis-121_escapism_hence-the-uneasiness-which-they-arouse-i_1806537.jpg) > ““Hence the uneasiness which they arouse in those who, for whatever reason, wish to keep us wholly imprisoned in the immediate conflict. That perhaps is why people are so ready with the charge of "escape." I never fully understood it till my friend Professor Tolkien asked me the very simple question, "What class of men would you expect to be most preoccupied with, and hostile to, the idea of escape?" and gave the obvious answer: jailers.”” [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. The quote argues that those who enforce confinement fear the notion of escape, because it threatens their control; thus, jailers are naturally hostile to freedom. **In simple terms:** People who imprison others resist ideas of escape because it undermines their power. Key Takeaway Recognize how power structures resist liberation. Themes power control freedom psychology Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political oppression - personal relationships - institutional control - social movements Key Concepts authoritarianism psychological projection Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from keeping others confined? - How does fear of escape manifest in modern institutions? A Different Perspective The analysis may oversimplify complex motivations behind resistance to change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Escapism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escapism/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I never fully understood it till my friend Professor Tolkien asked me the very simple question, 'What class of men would you expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/i-never-fully-understood-it-till-my-friend-professor-tolkien-asked-me/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The man who has not the habit of reading is imprisoned in his immediate world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-yutang/the-man-who-has-not-the-habit-of-reading-is-imprisoned-in-his-2/) [Lin Yutang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-yutang/) > [The only people who hate escapism are jailers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-only-people-who-hate-escapism-are-jailers/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“...those who are locked up know better than their jailers the taste of free air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-ne-cixous/those-who-are-locked-up-know-better-than-their-jailers-the-taste-of/) [Hélène Cixous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-ne-cixous/) > [“Like the hostages, I can’t find any excuses for my jailers, even if some of them are rootless exiles. They change continuously as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanan-al-shaykh/like-the-hostages-i-can-t-find-any-excuses-for-my-jailers-even-if/) [Hanan Al-Shaykh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanan-al-shaykh/) > [“quiet, unprovocative, unfailingly polite to one another and to them, and whose occasional sadness bore the stamp of a dignity their jailers could never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rappaport/quiet-unprovocative-unfailingly-polite-to-one-another-and-to-them-and/) [Helen Rappaport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rappaport/) > [In prison we are their jailers On trial their judges Persecuted their punishers Dead their conquerors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macneill/in-prison-we-are-their-jailers-on-trial-their-judges-persecuted-their/) Eoin MacNeill > [“I got out late winter. I was off on the exact day by thirty-some hours, which is not bad calculations. I made the decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-erickson/i-got-out-late-winter-i-was-off-on-the-exact-day-by-thirty-some-hours/) [Steve Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-erickson/) > [Do not help your jailers to pretend that their jail is your natural state of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/do-not-help-your-jailers-to-pretend-that-their-jail-is-your-natural/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Many novelists fumed at men they saw as jailers. A host of masculine villains paraded through their plots—neglectful fathers, cruel husbands, and assorted gamblers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/many-novelists-fumed-at-men-they-saw-as-jailers-a-host-of-masculine/) [Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/) > [Beware of those who seek to take care of you lest your caretakers become your jailers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/beware-of-those-who-seek-to-take-care-of-you-lest-your-caretakers/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“We buy our chains from our jailers and only when we put need before desire will we escape the prison of neo-liberalism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/we-buy-our-chains-from-our-jailers-and-only-when-we-put-need-before/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [“For I need not remind such an audience as this that the neat sorting out of books into age-groups, so dear to publishers, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/for-i-need-not-remind-such-an-audience-as-this-that-the-neat-sorting/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [She seemed imprisoned in her sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sena-jeter-naslund/she-seemed-imprisoned-in-her-sadness/) [Sena Jeter Naslund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sena-jeter-naslund/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## 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 Escapism quotes > [Music is escapism from the grim realities of life. But then as soon as you escape into the music, from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/music-is-escapism-from-the-grim-realities-of-life-but-then-as-soon-as/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [What 'Escapism' did, of course I'm over the moon about that - but if that's the biggest moment that I ever get then so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raye/what-escapism-did-of-course-i-m-over-the-moon-about-that-but-if-that/) [Raye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raye/) > [The young man shivered. He rolled the stock themes of fantasy over in his mind: cars and stockbrokers and commuters, housewives and police, agony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-young-man-shivered-he-rolled-the-stock-themes-of-fantasy-over-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I loved underground comics and psychedelic art. I did like some supernatural horror, but mainly fantasy. I was into escapism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arik-roper/i-loved-underground-comics-and-psychedelic-art-i-did-like-some/) [Arik Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arik-roper/) > [“We both knew no bounds to our escapism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-lillith-assadi/we-both-knew-no-bounds-to-our-escapism/) [Hannah Lillith Assadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-lillith-assadi/) > [“Often the most tricky questions are the ones we secretly know the answers of. What are you running from? What are you waiting for?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/often-the-most-tricky-questions-are-the-ones-we-secretly-know-the/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [Everything we do is escapism, because we'll all be dead and everything we do is completely meaningless. Why brush your teeth? Why not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/everything-we-do-is-escapism-because-we-ll-all-be-dead-and-everything/) [T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/) > [Fashion is, after all, a form of escapism, and in fact people are buying more special things than ever, nowadays. They deny and deny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/fashion-is-after-all-a-form-of-escapism-and-in-fact-people-are-buying/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [I think everybody wants to feel validated in some way, and when you're looking for leisure activities or if you're looking for escapism or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/i-think-everybody-wants-to-feel-validated-in-some-way-and-when-you-re/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [A great book provides escapism for me. The artistry and the creativity in a story are better than any drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/a-great-book-provides-escapism-for-me-the-artistry-and-the-creativity/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [Expeditions are escapism. The stuff that we're normally concerned about just doesn't matter out there. Tax returns, gas bill, none of it. Life becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-saunders/expeditions-are-escapism-the-stuff-that-we-re-normally-concerned/) [Ben Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-saunders/) > [“Time spent doing whatever it is you do to escape your daily life would be better spent acquiring a life that needs no escape.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-hick/time-spent-doing-whatever-it-is-you-do-to-escape-your-daily-life/) [Shaun Hick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-hick/) > [Fashion is so close in revealing a person's inner feelings and everybody seems to hate to lay claim to vanity so people tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-blum/fashion-is-so-close-in-revealing-a-person-s-inner-feelings-and/) Stella Blum > [Without its roots in reality, I don't think escapism can survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/without-its-roots-in-reality-i-don-t-think-escapism-can-survive/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [I love all that kind of gothic Bram Stoker kind of thing. I love to get lost in that kind of escapism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/i-love-all-that-kind-of-gothic-bram-stoker-kind-of-thing-i-love-to/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) [Browse all 264 Escapism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escapism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Hence the uneasiness which they arouse in those who, for whatever reason, wish to keep us wholly imprisoned in the immediate conflict. That perhaps is why people are so ready with the charge of \"escape.\" I never fully understood it till my friend Professor Tolkien asked me the very simple question, \"What class of men would you expect to be most preoccupied with, and hostile to, the idea of escape?\" and gave the obvious answer: jailers.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. 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