--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: presumably made the counter-suggestion…" description: "\"“presumably made the counter-suggestion (you know how one can never quite overhear what He says to them?) that this was more important than lunch. At l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/c-s-lewis-121_half-way_presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-y_2772061.jpg" --- # presumably made the counter-suggestion (you know how one… ![“presumably made the counter-suggestion (you know how one can never quite overhear what He says to them?) that this was more important than lunch. At least I think that must have been His line for when I said ‘Quite. In fact much too important to tackle at the end of a morning,’ the patient…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/c-s-lewis-121_half-way_presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-y_2772061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/c-s-lewis-121_half-way_presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-y_2772061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/c-s-lewis-121_half-way_presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-y_2772061.jpg) > ““presumably made the counter-suggestion (you know how one can never quite overhear what He says to them?) that this was more important than lunch. At least I think that must have been His line for when I said ‘Quite. In fact much too important to tackle at the end of a morning,’ the patient brightened up considerably; and by the time I had added ‘Much better come back after lunch and go into it with a fresh mind,’ he was already half way to the door. Once he was in the street the battle was won. I showed him a newsboy shouting the midday paper, and a No. 73 bus going past, and before he reached the bottom of the steps I had got into him an unalterable conviction that, whatever odd ideas might come into a man’s head when he was shut up alone with his books, a healthy dose of ‘real life’ (by which he meant the bus and the newsboy) was enough to show him that all ‘that sort of thing’ just couldn’t be true. He knew he’d had a narrow escape”” [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. A therapist uses a brief interruption and a vivid real‑world scene to break a patient’s obsessive thoughts, showing that external reality can dislodge mental fixation. **In simple terms:** Real life can interrupt harmful mental loops. Key Takeaway Use concrete, grounding experiences to shift focus. Themes psychology therapy reality distraction Mood empathetic pragmatic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - counseling sessions - education - stressful workdays - creative blocks Key Concepts cognitive reframing mindfulness grounding techniques Questions to Reflect On - How can you introduce grounding moments in a meeting? - What simple real‑world image can break a rumination? A Different Perspective May not work if the person resists external cues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bus Newsboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bus-newsboy-909816/) [Half way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-way/) [Important Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-lunch-3249724/) [Lunch Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lunch-think-710993/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Said Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-quite-939180/) [Says Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-important-244763/) ## Related quotes > [“Once he was in the street the battle was won. I showed him a newsboy shouting the midday paper, and a No. 73 bus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/once-he-was-in-the-street-the-battle-was-won-i-showed-him-a-newsboy/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“I think maybe I'd still nod and smile and have lunch with him. I think maybe I'd still go to the Noam Chomsky documentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/i-think-maybe-i-d-still-nod-and-smile-and-have-lunch-with-him-i-think/) [Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [Most people view coffee and lunch as personal time, not deal-making time. Unless the person you're meeting understands that this is a working lunch,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerber/most-people-view-coffee-and-lunch-as-personal-time-not-deal-making/) [Michael Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerber/) > [Sometimes I dress like what I want for lunch, because all I can think about is having a tuna sandwich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/sometimes-i-dress-like-what-i-want-for-lunch-because-all-i-can-think/) [Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/) > [“You are ruin and chaos to them, but you are lovely to my eye.' 'You're brave or daft, then,' she said, quite rightly. 'Chaos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-roux/you-are-ruin-and-chaos-to-them-but-you-are-lovely-to-my-eye-you-re/) [Madeleine Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-roux/) > [“The horse, it must be said, was quite surprised.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-horse-it-must-be-said-was-quite-surprised/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“But," said I, "to be quite honest, I do not think I can live without something of a musical society. I condition for nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/but-said-i-to-be-quite-honest-i-do-not-think-i-can-live-without/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“He's interested in her," Neil said, not quite a question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-sakavic/he-s-interested-in-her-neil-said-not-quite-a-question/) [Nora Sakavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-sakavic/) > [“You expected too much of me’ I told him, and he bowed his head. ‘I don’t know where you brought your grand ideas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-barrie/you-expected-too-much-of-me-i-told-him-and-he-bowed-his-head-i-don-t/) [J.M. Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-barrie/) > [It is not so much the content of what one says as the way in which one says it. However important the thing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-ashton-warner/it-is-not-so-much-the-content-of-what-one-says-as-the-way-in-which/) [Sylvia Ashton-Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-ashton-warner/) > [“I was very responsible, and very mature. Travis says otherwise, but he’s not important right now. We’re focused on me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-eccleston/i-was-very-responsible-and-very-mature-travis-says-otherwise-but-he-s/) [Finn Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-eccleston/) > [What the manager says is what's important to me. What experts say doesn't interest me and never will. I know what I can do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mesut-ozil/what-the-manager-says-is-what-s-important-to-me-what-experts-say/) [Mesut Ozil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mesut-ozil/) > [Whatever anybody says, the most important thing in life is to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/whatever-anybody-says-the-most-important-thing-in-life-is-to-be-happy/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [A believer is an evangelist primarily by who he is and how he lives-not by what he says. What he says is important; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sittler/a-believer-is-an-evangelist-primarily-by-who-he-is-and-how-he-lives/) [Joseph Sittler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sittler/) > [Every election is important and each election says it's more important than the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/every-election-is-important-and-each-election-says-it-s-more/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) ## 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 Half way quotes > [I never could keep a promise. I do not blame myself for this weakness, because the fault must lie in my physical organization. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-could-keep-a-promise-i-do-not-blame-myself-for-this-weakness/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [When you stand for something, you've got to stand for it all the way, not half way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/when-you-stand-for-something-you-ve-got-to-stand-for-it-all-the-way/) [Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/) > [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I'm fourteen years old; that's almost half-way to thirty. I need my own space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-mack/i-m-fourteen-years-old-that-s-almost-half-way-to-thirty-i-need-my-own/) [Alex Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-mack/) > [Linda McCartney sausages were my favorite. Theyre much better than eating real sausages and you dont have to contemplate half way through exactly whats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/linda-mccartney-sausages-were-my-favorite-theyre-much-better-than/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [I wonder what life means when you wake up at 6:30pm half way on the bed, drooling and still in heels...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hyland/i-wonder-what-life-means-when-you-wake-up-at-6-30pm-half-way-on-the/) [Sarah Hyland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hyland/) > [And the funny thing is that a stranger from half way across the world can be a better friend than the kid next door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-reichl/and-the-funny-thing-is-that-a-stranger-from-half-way-across-the-world/) [Katy Reichl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-reichl/) > [In the Sixties, it was mods and rockers, and hippies and casuals, whereas in the early Eighties, there was Goths, punks, mods, skinheads, New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-meadows/in-the-sixties-it-was-mods-and-rockers-and-hippies-and-casuals/) [Shane Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-meadows/) > [When two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly half way between. It is possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/when-two-opposite-points-of-view-are-expressed-with-equal-intensity/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Because I was the only child, I was completely indulged. My father thought I was the best looking boy. And even though I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-johar/because-i-was-the-only-child-i-was-completely-indulged-my-father/) [Karan Johar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-johar/) > [“I want to say my apartment is no paradise for bachelorettes and would be more accurately described by terms like 'pain clinic', 'wound-care center',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merri-lisa-johnson/i-want-to-say-my-apartment-is-no-paradise-for-bachelorettes-and-would/) [Merri Lisa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merri-lisa-johnson/) > [A lie can travel half-way around the world, while the truth is still putting on it's shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-lie-can-travel-half-way-around-the-world-while-the-truth-is-still/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The failure of the Reformation to capture France had left for Frenchmen no half-way house between infallibility and infidelity; and while the intellect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/the-failure-of-the-reformation-to-capture-france-had-left-for/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [“She looks like a fucking wet dream sitting on that bike. 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In fact much too important to tackle at the end of a morning,’ the patient brightened up considerably; and by the time I had added ‘Much better come back after lunch and go into it with a fresh mind,’ he was already half way to the door. Once he was in the street the battle was won. I showed him a newsboy shouting the midday paper, and a No. 73 bus going past, and before he reached the bottom of the steps I had got into him an unalterable conviction that, whatever odd ideas might come into a man’s head when he was shut up alone with his books, a healthy dose of ‘real life’ (by which he meant the bus and the newsboy) was enough to show him that all ‘that sort of thing’ just couldn’t be true. He knew he’d had a narrow escape”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-you-know-how-one-can-never/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Half way" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-you-know-how-one-can-never/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/c-s-lewis-121_half-way_presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-y_2772061.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/c-s-lewis-121_half-way_presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-y_2772061.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c97/c-s-lewis-121_half-way_presumably-made-the-counter-suggestion-y_2772061.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“presumably made the counter-suggestion (you know how one can never quite overhear what He says to them?)…” — C.S. 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