--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The man who is contented to be only…" description: "\"“The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through those of o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/c-s-lewis-121_books_the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-hims_372037.jpg" --- # The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore… ![“The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through those of others. Reality, even seen through the eyes of many, is not enough. I will see what others have invented. Even the eyes of all humanity are not…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/c-s-lewis-121_books_the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-hims_372037.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/c-s-lewis-121_books_the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-hims_372037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/c-s-lewis-121_books_the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-hims_372037.jpg) > ““The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through those of others. Reality, even seen through the eyes of many, is not enough. I will see what others have invented. Even the eyes of all humanity are not enough. I regret that the brutes connot write books. Very gladly would I learn what face things present to a mouse or a bee; more gladly still would I perceive the olfactory world charged with all the information and emotion it carries for a dog. Literary experience heals the wound, without undermining the privilege, of individuality... in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in the Greek poem, I see with a myriad of eyes, but it is still I who see. Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do.”” [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 passage reflects on the limits of personal perception, the desire to experience the world through many senses and perspectives, and how literature expands identity while preserving self. **In simple terms:** Reading lets us experience many lives, yet we remain ourselves. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse perspectives through literature while staying true to self. Themes identity perspective literature empathy transcendence Mood thoughtful inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - reading - creative writing - philosophical contemplation Key Concepts multisensory perception collective experience self‑expansion Questions to Reflect On - How does reading change your sense of self? - What senses do you wish literature could convey? A Different Perspective Literature may not fully capture all senses, leaving gaps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Night sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-sky/) [Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [Literary Experience heals the wound, without undermining the privilege of individuality.. .Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/literary-experience-heals-the-wound-without-undermining-the-privilege/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [My own eyes are not enough for me...I will see through the eyes of others. 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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. 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Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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Very gladly would I learn what face things present to a mouse or a bee; more gladly still would I perceive the olfactory world charged with all the information and emotion it carries for a dog. Literary experience heals the wound, without undermining the privilege, of individuality... in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in the Greek poem, I see with a myriad of eyes, but it is still I who see. Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-himself-and-therefore-less-a-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-himself-and-therefore-less-a-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/c-s-lewis-121_books_the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-hims_372037.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/c-s-lewis-121_books_the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-hims_372037.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71b/c-s-lewis-121_books_the-man-who-is-contented-to-be-only-hims_372037.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison. My own eyes are not…” — C.S. 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