--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When all that says 'it is good' has been…" description: "\"“When all that says 'it is good' has been debunked, what says 'I want' remains. (...) The Conditioners, therefore, must come to be motivated simply by ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/c-s-lewis-121_emotional-strength_when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-d_536906.jpg" --- # When all that says 'it is good' has been debunked, what… ![“When all that says 'it is good' has been debunked, what says 'I want' remains. (...) The Conditioners, therefore, must come to be motivated simply by their own pleasure. (...) My point is that those who stand outside all judgements of value cannot have any ground for preferring one of their own…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/c-s-lewis-121_emotional-strength_when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-d_536906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/c-s-lewis-121_emotional-strength_when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-d_536906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/c-s-lewis-121_emotional-strength_when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-d_536906.jpg) > ““When all that says 'it is good' has been debunked, what says 'I want' remains. (...) The Conditioners, therefore, must come to be motivated simply by their own pleasure. (...) My point is that those who stand outside all judgements of value cannot have any ground for preferring one of their own impulses to another except the emotional strength of that impulse. (...) I am very doubtful myself whether the benevolent impulses, stripped of that preference and encouragement which the Tao teaches us to give them and left to their merely natural strength and frequency as psychological events, will have much influence. I am very doubtful whether history shows us one example of a man who, having stepped outside traditional morality and attained power, has used that power benevolently.”” [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. When external moral standards are questioned, personal desire becomes the sole guide, but without shared values it lacks direction and influence. **In simple terms:** Personal desire alone may guide actions, yet lacks moral grounding. Key Takeaway Cultivate shared values beyond personal desire. Themes ethics motivation subjectivity philosophy power Mood thoughtful serious reflective Type philosophical ethical critical When to use this quote - making ethical decisions - leadership - political power - personal reflection - social movements Key Concepts moral philosophy human nature subjective desire Questions to Reflect On - What values should guide you beyond personal desire? - How can society balance individual impulses with collective good? A Different Perspective Relying only on desire can justify harmful actions without accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emotional strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-strength/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [“We may legitimately hope that among the impulses which arise in minds thus emptied of all ‘rational’ or ‘spiritual’ motives, some will be benevolent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-may-legitimately-hope-that-among-the-impulses-which-arise-in-minds/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Since I can see no answer to these questions, I draw the following conclusions. This thing which I have called for convenience the Tao,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/since-i-can-see-no-answer-to-these-questions-i-draw-the-following/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“The Tao, which others may call Natural Law or Traditional Morality or the First Principles of Practical Reason or the First Platitudes, is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-tao-which-others-may-call-natural-law-or-traditional-morality-or/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [ “Not when tradition is built upon Truth". ~R. Alan Woods \[2012\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/not-when-tradition-is-built-upon-truth-r-alan-woods-2012/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [And that's the type of thing I'm trying to speak out against the most, religion controlling what we see and what we do in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/and-that-s-the-type-of-thing-i-m-trying-to-speak-out-against-the-most/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [Wherever any precept of traditional morality is simply challenged to produce its credentials, as though the burden of proof lay on it, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/wherever-any-precept-of-traditional-morality-is-simply-challenged-to/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Traditional morality ... does not teach us how to let the other follow his or her own path, meet with whomever he or she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luce-irigaray/traditional-morality-does-not-teach-us-how-to-let-the-other-follow/) [Luce Irigaray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luce-irigaray/) > [“Those who defend traditional morality will sometimes admit that it is not perfect, but contend that any criticism will make all morality crumble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-defend-traditional-morality-will-sometimes-admit-that-it-is/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## 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 Emotional strength quotes > [“Good morning,” one of the soldiers said. “I’m Captain Joseph Walker and this is Sergeant James Vanetten. We are members of the One-Hundred-and-First Airborne…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shafter-bailey/good-morning-one-of-the-soldiers-said-i-m-captain-joseph-walker-and/) [Shafter Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shafter-bailey/) > [“There will be days when light feels far. But still — your heart will rise, your breath will steady, and hope will find you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roche-uccello/there-will-be-days-when-light-feels-far-but-still-your-heart-will/) [Roche Uccello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roche-uccello/) > [Passion gives me emotional strength... Passion means power!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-dutt/passion-gives-me-emotional-strength-passion-means-power/) [Sanjay Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-dutt/) > [Not everyone possesses boundless energy or a conspicuous talent. We are not equally blessed with great intellect or physical beauty or emotional strength. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gigi-graham/not-everyone-possesses-boundless-energy-or-a-conspicuous-talent-we/) [Gigi Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gigi-graham/) > [“Creativity has the power to look pain in the eye, and to decide to turn it into something better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/creativity-has-the-power-to-look-pain-in-the-eye-and-to-decide-to/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Your self-esteem and emotional strength relies solely on your manner of thinking and how you see things around you. Keeping a positive disposition with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/your-self-esteem-and-emotional-strength-relies-solely-on-your-manner/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [“For a considerable portion of humanity today, it is possible and indeed likely that one's neighbor, one's colleague, or one's employer will have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv/for-a-considerable-portion-of-humanity-today-it-is-possible-and/) [Dalai Lama XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv/) > [There is a lot of struggle in being an actor; you need so much emotional strength, no matter what level of stardom you have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/there-is-a-lot-of-struggle-in-being-an-actor-you-need-so-much/) [Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/) > [I've been told to 'man up' after talking about depression on Twitter. Man up means 'be strong because that's what a man is.' And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/limmy/i-ve-been-told-to-man-up-after-talking-about-depression-on-twitter/) [Limmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/limmy/) > [Living day in and day out with guilt over sin that has not been properly confessed and forsaken expends a certain amount of emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-priolo/living-day-in-and-day-out-with-guilt-over-sin-that-has-not-been/) [Lou Priolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-priolo/) > [“The hCG protocol would revolutionize our culture. Not only because of the mass reduction in obesity, but because when people are able to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-phipps-woodall/the-hcg-protocol-would-revolutionize-our-culture-not-only-because-of/) [Robin Phipps Woodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-phipps-woodall/) > [I love traveling and I love seeing new places and meeting new people, but at the same time, it takes a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-kent/i-love-traveling-and-i-love-seeing-new-places-and-meeting-new-people/) [Julia Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-kent/) > [“Hard times are like crossing a violent river on disappearing stones. You panic. You slip. You run. Somehow, you still make it across. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelika-regossi/hard-times-are-like-crossing-a-violent-river-on-disappearing-stones/) [Angelika Regossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelika-regossi/) > [“Self-compassoin is a skill that anyone can (and should!) learn. Practicing it increases emotional strength and resilience, allowing a person to bounce back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmel-sheridan/self-compassoin-is-a-skill-that-anyone-can-and-should-learn/) [Carmel Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmel-sheridan/) > [“WHOM DO YOU SPEND MORE time with: your best friend or your Blackberry? Thought so. Technology allows you to be constantly connected, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-cassity/whom-do-you-spend-more-time-with-your-best-friend-or-your-blackberry/) Jessica Cassity [Browse all 52 Emotional strength quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-strength/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When all that says 'it is good' has been debunked, what says 'I want' remains. (...) The Conditioners, therefore, must come to be motivated simply by their own pleasure. (...) My point is that those who stand outside all judgements of value cannot have any ground for preferring one of their own impulses to another except the emotional strength of that impulse. (...) I am very doubtful myself whether the benevolent impulses, stripped of that preference and encouragement which the Tao teaches us to give them and left to their merely natural strength and frequency as psychological events, will have much influence. I am very doubtful whether history shows us one example of a man who, having stepped outside traditional morality and attained power, has used that power benevolently.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-debunked-what-says-i-want/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Emotional strength" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-debunked-what-says-i-want/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/c-s-lewis-121_emotional-strength_when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-d_536906.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/c-s-lewis-121_emotional-strength_when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-d_536906.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37c/c-s-lewis-121_emotional-strength_when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-d_536906.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When all that says 'it is good' has been debunked, what says 'I want' remains. (...) The Conditioners…” — 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": "“When all that says 'it is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-debunked-what-says-i-want/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/when-all-that-says-it-is-good-has-been-debunked-what-says-i-want/#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 } } ] } ```