--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems, then, we are forced to believe…" description: "\"“It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/c-s-lewis-121_right-and-wrong_it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-i_948556.jpg" --- # It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right… ![“It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong, but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table.” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/c-s-lewis-121_right-and-wrong_it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-i_948556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/c-s-lewis-121_right-and-wrong_it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-i_948556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/c-s-lewis-121_right-and-wrong_it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-i_948556.jpg) > ““It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong, but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table.”” [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. Moral truths exist objectively, like math; they are not subjective preferences. **In simple terms:** Right and wrong are real, not opinions. Key Takeaway Recognize and act on objective moral standards. Themes ethics objectivity truth philosophy Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - legal judgments - personal dilemmas - education - public policy Key Concepts Moral realism natural law logic Questions to Reflect On - Do you see morality as absolute? - How do you handle moral disagreements? A Different Perspective Moral consensus varies across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Wrong people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-people/) ## Related quotes > [“You could tell them that a definition of “right” and “wrong” is a definition established not only by time, but also by simple geography.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/you-could-tell-them-that-a-definition-of-right-and-wrong-is-a/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Honesty is a question of right and wrong, not a matter of policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/honesty-is-a-question-of-right-and-wrong-not-a-matter-of-policy/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“The problem with logic,” Prime said, “is that sometimes you are forced to believe your own hypothesis, even if you don’t want”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcclellan/the-problem-with-logic-prime-said-is-that-sometimes-you-are-forced-to/) [Brian McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcclellan/) > [“Faith and power, he had come to believe, were interchangeable. Was the final truth even simpler? That no act of faith was possible until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/faith-and-power-he-had-come-to-believe-were-interchangeable-was-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“I hope one day you're forced to believe in something for which you haven't got a shred of truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-kauffman/i-hope-one-day-you-re-forced-to-believe-in-something-for-which-you/) May Kauffman > [We may not be proud of every song we've ever done - or been forced to do - but I believe we've done more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/we-may-not-be-proud-of-every-song-we-ve-ever-done-or-been-forced-to/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“God wouldn’t exist just because she forced herself to believe, any more than Cade would be all right just because she wanted him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-blackstock/god-wouldn-t-exist-just-because-she-forced-herself-to-believe-any/) [Terri Blackstock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-blackstock/) > [The press is like a woman: sublime when it lies, it will not let go until it has forced you to believe it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-press-is-like-a-woman-sublime-when-it-lies-it-will-not-let-go/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“I can't believe this" she say's "I can't believe I'm forced back with you" "I can't believe it either, when I thought were never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mjroco/i-can-t-believe-this-she-say-s-i-can-t-believe-i-m-forced-back-with/) [mjroco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mjroco/) > [People have mistaken me for a nobody when all I did was treat them like a somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demitrean/people-have-mistaken-me-for-a-nobody-when-all-i-did-was-treat-them/) Demitrean > [I should emphasize this, to keep well-meaning but misguided multiculturalists at bay: the theoretical entities in which these tribal people frankly believe — the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-should-emphasize-this-to-keep-well-meaning-but-misguided/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's no secret - I've said this before - people have mistaken me for a P.A. on the set. On my own set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/it-s-no-secret-i-ve-said-this-before-people-have-mistaken-me-for-a-p/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [“A lot of people were mistaken about a lot of things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/a-lot-of-people-were-mistaken-about-a-lot-of-things/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [People are mistaken if they think the Foreign Office can get you out of jail. We can't, but we will work hard to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lidington/people-are-mistaken-if-they-think-the-foreign-office-can-get-you-out/) [David Lidington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lidington/) > [When I came to the league, a lot of people were saying Dragic's name was 'Tragic.' That hurts a little bit. I always have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goran-dragic/when-i-came-to-the-league-a-lot-of-people-were-saying-dragic-s-name/) [Goran Dragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goran-dragic/) ## 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 Right and wrong quotes > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If the mind is dominated by hatred, the best part of the brain, which is used to judge right and wrong, does not function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/if-the-mind-is-dominated-by-hatred-the-best-part-of-the-brain-which/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“people say that life is a battle ground and we are warriors.. but what I understood about life is that:- it doesn't operates us..…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katyayani-kumari/people-say-that-life-is-a-battle-ground-and-we-are-warriors-but-what/) KATYAYANI KUMARI > [“You do not need commandments to tell you what is right and wrong, you need reason. YOU NEED TO THINK. What are the consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kassandra-dick/you-do-not-need-commandments-to-tell-you-what-is-right-and-wrong-you/) Kassandra Dick > [Anyone who will look at my life from the outside won't see the struggles inside. Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [“But you can't go around changing your definition of right and wrong (or smart and stupid) just because doing the wrong thing happens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/but-you-can-t-go-around-changing-your-definition-of-right-and-wrong/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [If you want to be Justin Timberlake, go for it. But if you want to be somebody else, go for it but it's usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-friday/if-you-want-to-be-justin-timberlake-go-for-it-but-if-you-want-to-be/) [Gavin Friday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-friday/) > [“Life doesn't always give us a choice between right and wrong. Occasionally, we are forced to choose between two rights or two wrongs...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/life-doesn-t-always-give-us-a-choice-between-right-and-wrong/) [Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/) > [“I did the wrong thing, and I lost him for real. But did you do the wrong thing? Jamie thinks it was the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rozett/i-did-the-wrong-thing-and-i-lost-him-for-real-but-did-you-do-the/) [Louise Rozett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rozett/) > [“We live in a society in which all transcendent values have been removed and thus there is no moral standard by which anyone can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-w-colson/we-live-in-a-society-in-which-all-transcendent-values-have-been/) [Charles W. Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-w-colson/) > [Now is the time to understand That all your ideas of right and wrong Were just a child's training wheelsTo be laid aside When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/now-is-the-time-to-understand-that-all-your-ideas-of-right-and-wrong/) [Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/) > [“It is the eternal struggle between these two principles - right and wrong - throughout the world. They are the two principles that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/it-is-the-eternal-struggle-between-these-two-principles-right-and/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [You can see the rider serving the elephant when people are morally dumbfounded. They have strong gut feelings about what is right and wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/you-can-see-the-rider-serving-the-elephant-when-people-are-morally/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [One of the things that I've always appreciated about the 'X-Men' style of storytelling versus other Marvel stories is how fluid the line between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/one-of-the-things-that-i-ve-always-appreciated-about-the-x-men-style/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) [Browse all 883 Right and wrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong, but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-in-a-real-right-and-wrong/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Right and wrong" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-in-a-real-right-and-wrong/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/c-s-lewis-121_right-and-wrong_it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-i_948556.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/c-s-lewis-121_right-and-wrong_it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-i_948556.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2a/c-s-lewis-121_right-and-wrong_it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-i_948556.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong. People may be sometimes mistaken about…” — 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": "“It seems, then, we are forced...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-in-a-real-right-and-wrong/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/it-seems-then-we-are-forced-to-believe-in-a-real-right-and-wrong/#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 } } ] } ```