--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We may be sure that the characteristic…" description: "\"“We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the twentieth century - the blindness about which posterity will ask, \"But how could they have tho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/c-s-lewis-121_books_we-may-be-sure-that-the-characteristic-b_2991931.jpg" --- # We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the… ![“We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the twentieth century - the blindness about which posterity will ask, "But how could they have thought that?" - lies where we have never suspected it... None of us can fully escape this blindness, but we shall certainly increase it, and weaken…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/c-s-lewis-121_books_we-may-be-sure-that-the-characteristic-b_2991931.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/c-s-lewis-121_books_we-may-be-sure-that-the-characteristic-b_2991931.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9c/c-s-lewis-121_books_we-may-be-sure-that-the-characteristic-b_2991931.jpg) > ““We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the twentieth century - the blindness about which posterity will ask, "But how could they have thought that?" - lies where we have never suspected it... None of us can fully escape this blindness, but we shall certainly increase it, and weaken our guard against it, if we read only modern books. Where they are true they will give us truths which we half knew already. Where they are false they will aggravate the error with which we are already dangerously ill. The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books.”” [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. Relying solely on modern works can deepen ignorance; old books provide timeless perspective. **In simple terms:** Old books give lasting wisdom, modern books may mislead. Key Takeaway Read classics to balance modern views. Themes wisdom historical perspective critical thinking Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - academic study - personal growth - cultural literacy Key Concepts literature cognitive bias education Questions to Reflect On - How do you choose reading material? - What classic ideas challenge your modern views? A Different Perspective Modern works also contain valuable insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Sea breeze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-breeze/) [Theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [ We may be sure that the characteristic blindness of the twentieth century \[...\] lies where we have never suspected it \[...\] The only palliative… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-may-be-sure-that-the-characteristic-blindness-of-the-twentieth/) [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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Where they are true they will give us truths which we half knew already. Where they are false they will aggravate the error with which we are already dangerously ill. The only palliative is to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds, and this can be done only by reading old books.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. 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