--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A glimpse is not a vision. But to a man…" description: "\"A glimpse is not a vision. But to a man on a mountain road by night, a glimpse of the next three feet of road may matter more than a vision of the hori..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/c-s-lewis-2-132_dreams_a-glimpse-is-not-a-vision-but-to-a-man-o_828759.png" --- # A glimpse is not a vision. But to a man on a mountain road… ![“A glimpse is not a vision. But to a man on a mountain road by night, a glimpse of the next three feet of road may matter more than a vision of the horizon.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/c-s-lewis-2-132_dreams_a-glimpse-is-not-a-vision-but-to-a-man-o_828759.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/c-s-lewis-2-132_dreams_a-glimpse-is-not-a-vision-but-to-a-man-o_828759.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/282/c-s-lewis-2-132_dreams_a-glimpse-is-not-a-vision-but-to-a-man-o_828759.png) > “A glimpse is not a vision. But to a man on a mountain road by night, a glimpse of the next three feet of road may matter more than a vision of the horizon.” [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A brief view can be more useful than a distant dream when immediate decisions matter. **In simple terms:** Immediate details can outweigh distant goals. Key Takeaway Focus on the present facts. Themes decision making perspective risk assessment Mood pragmatic thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - mountain travel - night driving - emergency response - short‑term planning Key Concepts pragmatism situational awareness Questions to Reflect On - When have you needed a small detail more than a big picture? - How does focusing on the present affect long‑term goals? A Different Perspective A vision can inspire long‑term strategy, which this quote downplays. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horizon/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in a stream of stars - pilgrims of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-beston/for-a-moment-of-night-we-have-a-glimpse-of-ourselves-and-of-our-world/) [Henry Beston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-beston/) > [One should never take the easy road, but rather the right road, no matter how long the travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cerreta/one-should-never-take-the-easy-road-but-rather-the-right-road-no/) Scott Cerreta > [I love you because no matter the road, no matter where its going, I want you with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee/i-love-you-because-no-matter-the-road-no-matter-where-its-going-i/) [Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee/) > [No matter how tall the mountain is, there is always a road to the top of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/no-matter-how-tall-the-mountain-is-there-is-always-a-road-to-the-top/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“Philosophy is a high mountain road…an isolated road and becomes even more desolate the higher we ascend. Whoever pursues this pass should know no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/philosophy-is-a-high-mountain-road-an-isolated-road-and-becomes-even/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [It's about the time I was riding my Motorcycle, going down a mountain road at 150 miles an hour, playing my guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/it-s-about-the-time-i-was-riding-my-motorcycle-going-down-a-mountain/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [“one must submit, like a traveller who has to ascend a mountain: if the mountain was not there, the road would be both shorter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/one-must-submit-like-a-traveller-who-has-to-ascend-a-mountain-if-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Life is not meant to be an interstate highway. It's a winding mountain road with hills and dips, stop signs and school zones. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-march/life-is-not-meant-to-be-an-interstate-highway-it-s-a-winding-mountain/) [Emily March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-march/) > [What is life but the angle of vision? A man is measured by the angle at which he looks at objects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/what-is-life-but-the-angle-of-vision-a-man-is-measured-by-the-angle/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Whatever their future, at the dawn of their lives, men seek a noble vision of man's nature and of life's potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/whatever-their-future-at-the-dawn-of-their-lives-men-seek-a-noble/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [The Communist vision is the vision of man without God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/the-communist-vision-is-the-vision-of-man-without-god/) [Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/) > [If you leave a man with a vision for another man with a television... you will soon watch that man in your husband television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercy-pheona/if-you-leave-a-man-with-a-vision-for-another-man-with-a-television/) [Mercy Pheona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercy-pheona/) > [A man without a purpose is a man without a vision , a man without a vision is a man that wont survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iven-garland/a-man-without-a-purpose-is-a-man-without-a-vision-a-man-without-a/) [IVEN GARLAND](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iven-garland/) > [For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/for-the-vision-of-one-man-lends-not-its-wings-to-another-man/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [A man without vision is a man without God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/a-man-without-vision-is-a-man-without-god/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) ## More by C. S. Lewis > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Either Jesus is the Son of God ; or a madman or worse. But His being just a great teacher? He's not left that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/either-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-or-a-madman-or-worse-but-his-being/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [To every soul, God will look like its first love because He IS its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/to-every-soul-god-will-look-like-its-first-love-because-he-is-its/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Don't you understand anything? Isn't it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/don-t-you-understand-anything-isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/really-great-moral-teachers-never-do-introduce-new-moralities-it-is/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“When He died in the Wounded World He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/when-he-died-in-the-wounded-world-he-died-not-for-men-but-for-each/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that's my job...And I'm prepared to say on that basis if anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-i-am-in-private-life-is-a-literary-critic-and-historian-that-s-my/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [If a man is going to write on chemistry, he learns chemistry. The same is true of Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-a-man-is-going-to-write-on-chemistry-he-learns-chemistry-the-same/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the Resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-first-fact-in-the-history-of-christendom-is-a-number-of-people/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I#pray because the need flows out of me all the time-walking and sleeping. It does not change # God - it changes me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/i-pray-because-the-need-flows-out-of-me-all-the-time-walking-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Are the gods not just?' 'Oh no, child. What would become us us if they were?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/are-the-gods-not-just-oh-no-child-what-would-become-us-us-if-they-were/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Love is more than an emotion, it is a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/love-is-more-than-an-emotion-it-is-a-decision/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Ink is the great cure for all human ills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/ink-is-the-great-cure-for-all-human-ills/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-man-may-have-to-die-for-our-country-but-no-man-must-in-any/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [War creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/war-creates-no-absolutely-new-situation-it-simply-aggravates-the/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) [Explore all 1,190 C. S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## More Dreams quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [“Now you’re wet. You’re so wet you’re leaking down your ass. You’re soaking my pillow. I don’t think I’m ever washing it. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stoker/now-you-re-wet-you-re-so-wet-you-re-leaking-down-your-ass-you-re/) [Susan Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stoker/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A glimpse is not a vision. But to a man on a mountain road by night, a glimpse of the next three feet of road may matter more than a vision of the horizon.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. S. 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