--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But if you are a poor creature--poisoned…" description: "\"But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/c-s-lewis-2-132_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_2473418.png" --- # But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched… ![“But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion--nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best…” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/c-s-lewis-2-132_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_2473418.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/c-s-lewis-2-132_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_2473418.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b85/c-s-lewis-2-132_best-friend_but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned_2473418.png) > “But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion--nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends--do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day He will fling it on the scrap-heap and give you a new one. And then you may astonish us all - not least yourself.” [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. Even when life feels corrupted and burdensome, divine compassion remains, offering hope for renewal and transformation. **In simple terms:** God offers hope despite personal suffering. Key Takeaway Trust God's plan and keep moving forward. Themes faith resilience redemption Mood encouraging reflective Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - personal crisis - mental health struggles - spiritual doubt - overcoming adversity Key Concepts spirituality human suffering divine providence Questions to Reflect On - How can you recognize divine support in daily struggles? - What small actions reflect your faith now? A Different Perspective Hope may feel distant when pain is intense. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) [Best friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friends/) [Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessed/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Despair Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair-knows-785836/) [Fling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fling/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inferiority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inferiority/) [Inferiority complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inferiority-complex/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Knows Wretched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows-wretched-785835/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [One day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-day/) [Perversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perversion/) [Poisoned Wretched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poisoned-wretched-785838/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Creature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-creature-785837/) [Quarrels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quarrels/) [Scrap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scrap/) [Snaps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snaps/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Vulgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulgar/) [Vulgar Jealousies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulgar-jealousies-785834/) [Wretched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wretched/) [Your best friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-best-friend/) ## Related quotes > [“But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/but-if-you-are-a-poor-creature-poisoned-by-a-wretched-up-bringing-in/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“One has followed the other in an endless circle, for it is certain that as man's insight increases so he finds both wretchedness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/one-has-followed-the-other-in-an-endless-circle-for-it-is-certain/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [When a man gets to despair he knows that all his thinking will never get him out. He will only get out by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-a-man-gets-to-despair-he-knows-that-all-his-thinking-will-never/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Perfect humility dispenses with modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/perfect-humility-dispenses-with-modesty/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Drawn by conceit from reason's plan How vain is that poor creature man; How pleas'd in ev'ry paltry elf To grate about that thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-churchill/drawn-by-conceit-from-reason-s-plan-how-vain-is-that-poor-creature/) [Charles Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-churchill/) > [A poor creature who has said or done nothing worth a serious man taking the trouble of remembering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/a-poor-creature-who-has-said-or-done-nothing-worth-a-serious-man/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [As I hold the flower in my hand and think of trying to describe it, I realize how poor a creature I am, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-thaxter/as-i-hold-the-flower-in-my-hand-and-think-of-trying-to-describe-it-i/) [Celia Thaxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-thaxter/) > [ “\[W\]ithout travelling one remains a poor creature; that goes especially for people in the arts and sciences! \[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-rees/w-ithout-travelling-one-remains-a-poor-creature-that-goes-especially/) [Jasper Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-rees/) > [“A man without conscience is but a poor creature...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/a-man-without-conscience-is-but-a-poor-creature/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“An old lady had an Alderney cow, which she looked upon as a daughter. …The whole town knew and kindly regarded Miss Betsy Barker's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/an-old-lady-had-an-alderney-cow-which-she-looked-upon-as-a-daughter/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [We are lost, lost,' said Gollum. 'No name, no business, no Precious, nothing. Only empty. Only hungry; yes, we are hungry. A few little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-lost-lost-said-gollum-no-name-no-business-no-precious-nothing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man is a poor creature compared to a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-man-is-a-poor-creature-compared-to-a-woman/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Man, as we know him, is a poor creature; he is halfway between an ape and a god and he is travelling in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/man-as-we-know-him-is-a-poor-creature-he-is-halfway-between-an-ape/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Strip him of equipage and fortune, and such things as only dazzle our eyes and imaginations, but don't in any measure affect our reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-astell/strip-him-of-equipage-and-fortune-and-such-things-as-only-dazzle-our/) [Mary Astell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-astell/) > [“One might be well read but surely has not read it all. So chill you are at par.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talees-rizvi/one-might-be-well-read-but-surely-has-not-read-it-all-so-chill-you/) [Talees Rizvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talees-rizvi/) ## 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 Best friend quotes > [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/) [Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [I fell in love with my best friend, but I know that if it doesn't last, it will never be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-yang/i-fell-in-love-with-my-best-friend-but-i-know-that-if-it-doesn-t-last/) [Shelly Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-yang/) > [A best friend isn't someone who's just always there for you.Its someone who understands you a bit more than you understand yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-best-friend-isn-t-someone-who-s-just-always-there-for-you-its/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Back home I get to see my old friends!(: But they don't understand the change in me and I can't explain it to them...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/back-home-i-get-to-see-my-old-friends-but-they-don-t-understand-the/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [This goes out to someone that was Once the most important person in my life I didn't realize it at the time I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aviation/this-goes-out-to-someone-that-was-once-the-most-important-person-in/) [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aviation/) > [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [Sometimes the right people can make your day. They're called best friends :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-the-right-people-can-make-your-day-they-re-called-best/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Here is your third gift from Me once again..I had a fourth gift it was about me making a video telling you how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilbear/here-is-your-third-gift-from-me-once-again-i-had-a-fourth-gift-it-was/) [LilBear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilbear/) > [Our friendship is like a cup of tea¦a special blend of you and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orebela-gbenga/our-friendship-is-like-a-cup-of-tea-a-special-blend-of-you-and-me/) [Orebela Gbenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orebela-gbenga/) > [When you have the most beautiful best friend in the world what more could I ask for I love you Tay :) you mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick/when-you-have-the-most-beautiful-best-friend-in-the-world-what-more/) [Nick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick/) > [I believe in God, because he is the only thing that kept me going. He's my best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hahn/i-believe-in-god-because-he-is-the-only-thing-that-kept-me-going-he-s/) [Jessica Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hahn/) > [ONE stone enough to break a glass,,, ONE sentence is enough to break a heart,,, FIRST sight is enough to fall in love,,, ONE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-stone-enough-to-break-a-glass-one-sentence-is-enough-to-break-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A Real Man will help build his woman's self esteem not break it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-s-voice/a-real-man-will-help-build-his-woman-s-self-esteem-not-break-it/) [Lisa's Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-s-voice/) [Browse all 6,524 Best friend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But if you are a poor creature--poisoned by a wretched up-bringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels--saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion--nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends--do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day He will fling it on the scrap-heap and give you a new one. And then you may astonish us all - not least yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. S. 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