--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We want you to write it down--to…" description: "\"“We want you to write it down--to camouflage it. Only for the present, of course. Once the thing gets going we shan't have to bother about the great he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/c-s-lewis-121_experiment_we-want-you-to-write-it-down-to-camoufla_484593.jpg" --- # We want you to write it down--to camouflage it. Only for… ![“We want you to write it down--to camouflage it. Only for the present, of course. Once the thing gets going we shan't have to bother about the great heart of the British public. We'll make the great heart what we want it to be. But in the meantime, it does make a difference how things are put. For…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/c-s-lewis-121_experiment_we-want-you-to-write-it-down-to-camoufla_484593.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/c-s-lewis-121_experiment_we-want-you-to-write-it-down-to-camoufla_484593.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/368/c-s-lewis-121_experiment_we-want-you-to-write-it-down-to-camoufla_484593.jpg) > ““We want you to write it down--to camouflage it. Only for the present, of course. Once the thing gets going we shan't have to bother about the great heart of the British public. We'll make the great heart what we want it to be. But in the meantime, it does make a difference how things are put. For instance, if it were even whispered that the N.I.C.E. wanted powers to experiment on criminals, you'd have all the old women of both sexes up in arms and yapping about humanity. Call it re-education of the mal-adjusted, and you have them all slobbering with delight that the brutal era of retributive punishment has at last come to and end. Odd thing it is--the word 'experiment' is unpopular, but not the word 'experimental.' You must'nt experiment on children; but offer the dear little kiddies free education in an experimental school attached to the N.I.C.E. and it's all correct!”” [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. Manipulating public opinion through language and framing can shape societal attitudes toward controversial policies. **In simple terms:** Words shape public perception of policies. Key Takeaway Be aware of how framing influences opinion. Themes propaganda public opinion ethics Mood cautious critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political campaigns - public health messaging - education reform - media reporting Key Concepts framing media manipulation social engineering Questions to Reflect On - How does language affect your view of policy? - What framing would change your stance? A Different Perspective The quote assumes audiences are easily swayed, ignoring critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Experiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiment/) [Free education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-education/) [Schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schools/) [Social engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-engineering/) ## Related quotes > [“You musn’t experiment on children; but offer the dear little kiddies free education in an experimental school attached to the NICE and it’s all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/you-musn-t-experiment-on-children-but-offer-the-dear-little-kiddies/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Odd thing it is—the word ‘experiment’ is unpopular, but not the word ‘experimental.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/odd-thing-it-is-the-word-experiment-is-unpopular-but-not-the-word/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Another study that winds up in half the textbooks makes the same point, if more subtly. The subjects of the “experiment” were children reared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/another-study-that-winds-up-in-half-the-textbooks-makes-the-same/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [Social engineering is the clever manipulation and control of ideas in a sequenced pattern that doesn't change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/social-engineering-is-the-clever-manipulation-and-control-of-ideas-in/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Social engineering is using deception, manipulation and influence to convince a human who has access to a computer system to do something, like click…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/social-engineering-is-using-deception-manipulation-and-influence-to/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Lyndon Johnson is not a comfortable model for President Obama to imitate. He is an all-but-forgotten president - pilloried for the failed war in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/lyndon-johnson-is-not-a-comfortable-model-for-president-obama-to/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [I'm against ObamaCare, which is imposing radical change, and I would be against a conservative imposing radical change… I don't think right-wing social engineering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-m-against-obamacare-which-is-imposing-radical-change-and-i-would-be/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [“Look around you,” the stranger said. “Can’t you see that we are living amongst the ruins of our civilisation?” The words seemed to chime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-samuels/look-around-you-the-stranger-said-can-t-you-see-that-we-are-living/) [Mark Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-samuels/) > [The reason our country looks the way it does is through social engineering that distinctly benefits suburban communities, exurban communities, and often white residents.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-benjamin/the-reason-our-country-looks-the-way-it-does-is-through-social/) [Richard Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-benjamin/) > [Enlightened social engineering is required to face situations that demand global action now. Education is a long-term solution. Parents and the general public must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goodlad/enlightened-social-engineering-is-required-to-face-situations-that-2/) [John Goodlad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goodlad/) > [Enlightened social engineering is required to face situations that demand global action now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goodlad/enlightened-social-engineering-is-required-to-face-situations-that/) [John Goodlad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goodlad/) > [“The conservatives could sneer about "social engineering" if they wanted, but I thought that most people believed as I did that government should embody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/the-conservatives-could-sneer-about-social-engineering-if-they-wanted/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Government has ceased to mean upholding and reinforcing the traditional rights and morals of the governed; it now means compulsion in the service of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/government-has-ceased-to-mean-upholding-and-reinforcing-the/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [Hey, if I had my choice for social engineering, I'd declare an automatic R-rating for any movie that depicts television commercials. There's a truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-herskovitz/hey-if-i-had-my-choice-for-social-engineering-i-d-declare-an/) [Marshall Herskovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-herskovitz/) > [We live in a world of diverse cultures, and we know very little about social engineering and how to 'build nations.' And when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-nye/we-live-in-a-world-of-diverse-cultures-and-we-know-very-little-about/) [Joseph Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-nye/) ## 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. 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Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. 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