--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think I can understand that feeling…" description: "\"“I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/655/c-s-lewis-121_dr-johnson_i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-ab_1026887.jpg" --- # I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s… ![“I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc exist for except that people may be fed, warmed…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/655/c-s-lewis-121_dr-johnson_i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-ab_1026887.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/655/c-s-lewis-121_dr-johnson_i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-ab_1026887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/655/c-s-lewis-121_dr-johnson_i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-ab_1026887.jpg) > ““I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? As Dr. Johnson said, “To be happy at home is the end of all human endeavour”. (1st to be happy to prepare for being happy in our own real home hereafter: 2nd in the meantime to be happy in our houses.) We wage war in order to have peace, we work in order to have leisure, we produce food in order to eat it. So your job is the one for which all others exist…”” [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. Home life is fundamental; all other work exists to support it, making domestic happiness the ultimate goal. **In simple terms:** Home happiness is ultimate purpose of work. Key Takeaway Prioritize creating a nurturing home. Themes family purpose work-life balance Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - housing - career planning - government policy - community building Key Concepts philosophy sociology economics Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to improve home life? - How does society value domestic work? A Different Perspective Home happiness is not guaranteed; external factors affect it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dr johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dr-johnson/) [Happy home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-home/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Housewife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housewife/) ## Related quotes > [“A housewife's work has no results: it simply has to be done again. Bringing up children is not a real occupation, because children come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/a-housewife-s-work-has-no-results-it-simply-has-to-be-done-again/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > [“...sense of reality is important in any work of fiction...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/sense-of-reality-is-important-in-any-work-of-fiction/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Homemaking is surely in reality the most important work in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/homemaking-is-surely-in-reality-the-most-important-work-in-the-world/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [You have to understand the separation between what exists in the print media and what exists in reality. It's important to never lose track…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-kushner/you-have-to-understand-the-separation-between-what-exists-in-the/) [Jared Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-kushner/) > [An accurate, insightful view of current reality is as important as a clear vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/an-accurate-insightful-view-of-current-reality-is-as-important-as-a/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [In reality, the most important things happen when you don't look for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/in-reality-the-most-important-things-happen-when-you-don-t-look-for/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [That is my reality. It's that important to nurture and foster my own creativity. There are plenty of birthday parties I haven't been able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-paulson/that-is-my-reality-it-s-that-important-to-nurture-and-foster-my-own/) [Sarah Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-paulson/) > [I think one of the major things a director has to do is to know his subject matter, the subject matter of his script,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wise/i-think-one-of-the-major-things-a-director-has-to-do-is-to-know-his/) [Robert Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wise/) > [It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, the feeling for the things themselves, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/it-is-not-the-language-of-painters-but-the-language-of-nature-which/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“It's not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, for reality is more important than the feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/it-s-not-the-language-of-painters-but-the-language-of-nature-which/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [But she’d managed to find her way into our reality, perhaps because she had an important mission here, perhaps because she was here to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/but-she-d-managed-to-find-her-way-into-our-reality-perhaps-because/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [Trying to ground everything in reality was the most important thing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-sanders/trying-to-ground-everything-in-reality-was-the-most-important-thing/) [Rupert Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-sanders/) > [“How you react to reality is more important than the reality to which you react.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-r-hobbs/how-you-react-to-reality-is-more-important-than-the-reality-to-which/) W.R. Hobbs > [In a world where celebrity equals talent, and where make-believe is called reality, it is most important to have real love, truth and stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-brillstein/in-a-world-where-celebrity-equals-talent-and-where-make-believe-is/) [Bernie Brillstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-brillstein/) > [Be an artist of consciousness. Your picture of reality is your most important creation. Make it powerfully profoundly beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-grey/be-an-artist-of-consciousness-your-picture-of-reality-is-your-most/) [Alex Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-grey/) ## 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 Dr johnson quotes > [“Listen, I wanted to say, I don't need your judgment, okay? I have enough to deal with without you contributing, so can we just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-verdi/listen-i-wanted-to-say-i-don-t-need-your-judgment-okay-i-have-enough/) [Jessica Verdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-verdi/) > [“How are you coming with your home library? Do you need some good ammunition on why it's so important to read? The last time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/how-are-you-coming-with-your-home-library-do-you-need-some-good/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [I'm an advocate of the great Dr. Johnson, the English man of letters who said that patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-galloway/i-m-an-advocate-of-the-great-dr-johnson-the-english-man-of-letters/) [George Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-galloway/) > [“I was strong in English, and thankful for it. I knew the great Dr. Johnson from his friend Mr. Boswell. There is a friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-llewellyn/i-was-strong-in-english-and-thankful-for-it-i-knew-the-great-dr/) [Richard Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-llewellyn/) > [“It is generally understood that a modern-day book may honorably be based upon an older one, especially since, as Dr. Johnson observed, no man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/it-is-generally-understood-that-a-modern-day-book-may-honorably-be/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [Boswell: But, Sir is it not somewhat singular that you should happen to have Cocker's Arithmetic about you on your journey? Dr. Johnson: Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/boswell-but-sir-is-it-not-somewhat-singular-that-you-should-happen-to/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [Patriotism, n. Combustible rubbish ready to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name. In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/patriotism-n-combustible-rubbish-ready-to-the-torch-of-any-one/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [You think I love flattery (says Dr. Johnson), and so I do; but a little too much always disgusts me: that fellow Richardson, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-think-i-love-flattery-says-dr-johnson-and-so-i-do-but-a-little/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“As Dr. Johnson said: “God himself, sir, does not propose to judge man until the end of his days.” Why should you and I?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/as-dr-johnson-said-god-himself-sir-does-not-propose-to-judge-man/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Even happiness itself may become habitual. There is a habit of looking at the bright side of things, and also of looking at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/even-happiness-itself-may-become-habitual-there-is-a-habit-of-looking/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [Dr. Johnson was a lazy learned man who liked to think and talk better than to read or write; who, however, wrote much and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/dr-johnson-was-a-lazy-learned-man-who-liked-to-think-and-talk-better/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [One of Dr. Johnson's ingredients of happiness was, "A little less time than you want." That means always to have so many things you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/one-of-dr-johnson-s-ingredients-of-happiness-was-a-little-less-time/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [BRANDY, n. A cordial composed of one part thunder-and-lightning, one part remorse, two parts bloody murder, one part death-hell-and-the- grave and four parts clarified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/brandy-n-a-cordial-composed-of-one-part-thunder-and-lightning-one/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Culture is like the sum of special knowledge that accumulates in any large united family and is the common property of all its members.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/culture-is-like-the-sum-of-special-knowledge-that-accumulates-in-any/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Dr Johnson died in 1944. The suspicion exists that he was silenced...However two federal inspectors did examine his hospital record in the late 1950's.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lynes/dr-johnson-died-in-1944-the-suspicion-exists-that-he-was-silenced/) [Barry Lynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lynes/) [Browse all 31 Dr johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dr-johnson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? As Dr. Johnson said, “To be happy at home is the end of all human endeavour”. (1st to be happy to prepare for being happy in our own real home hereafter: 2nd in the meantime to be happy in our houses.) We wage war in order to have peace, we work in order to have leisure, we produce food in order to eat it. So your job is the one for which all others exist…”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-about-a-housewife-s-work-being/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dr johnson" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-about-a-housewife-s-work-being/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/655/c-s-lewis-121_dr-johnson_i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-ab_1026887.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/655/c-s-lewis-121_dr-johnson_i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-ab_1026887.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/655/c-s-lewis-121_dr-johnson_i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-ab_1026887.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the…” — 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": "“I think I can understand that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-about-a-housewife-s-work-being/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-think-i-can-understand-that-feeling-about-a-housewife-s-work-being/#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 } } ] } ```