--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I mean, the more a man was in the Devil's…" description: "\"I mean, the more a man was in the Devil's power, the less he would be aware of it, on the principle that a man is still fairly sober as long as he know..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/c-s-lewis-2-132_devil_i-mean-the-more-a-man-was-in-the-devil-s_951063.png" --- # I mean, the more a man was in the Devil's power, the less… ![“I mean, the more a man was in the Devil's power, the less he would be aware of it, on the principle that a man is still fairly sober as long as he knows he's drunk.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/c-s-lewis-2-132_devil_i-mean-the-more-a-man-was-in-the-devil-s_951063.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/c-s-lewis-2-132_devil_i-mean-the-more-a-man-was-in-the-devil-s_951063.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86a/c-s-lewis-2-132_devil_i-mean-the-more-a-man-was-in-the-devil-s_951063.png) > “I mean, the more a man was in the Devil's power, the less he would be aware of it, on the principle that a man is still fairly sober as long as he knows he's drunk.” [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. Powerful influences can be invisible; awareness of one's condition is the first step to sobriety. **In simple terms:** Ignorance of influence blinds us. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑awareness. Themes power awareness self‑knowledge Mood analytical introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - Leadership - personal growth - addiction recovery Key Concepts Psychology spirituality humility Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize hidden influences? - What signs indicate you are “drunk” with power? A Different Perspective Self‑deception can persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [Fairly Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairly-sober-1696396/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Knows Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows-drunk-1696395/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Man Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-devil-860028/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober/) [Sober Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sober-long-1696397/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [“There's a peculiar thing that happens every time you get clean. You go through this sensation of rebirth. There's something intoxicating about the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-keidis/there-s-a-peculiar-thing-that-happens-every-time-you-get-clean-you-go/) [Anthony Keidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-keidis/) > [The idle man is the Devil's cushion, on which he taketh his free ease: who, as he is uncapable of any good, so he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hall/the-idle-man-is-the-devil-s-cushion-on-which-he-taketh-his-free-ease/) [Joseph Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hall/) > [As long as something is happening it really does not matter if it is of God, of man or of the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-howard-browne/as-long-as-something-is-happening-it-really-does-not-matter-if-it-is/) [Rodney Howard-Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-howard-browne/) > [Everywhere in the world we find the laughing man behind the devil mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattias-konradsson/everywhere-in-the-world-we-find-the-laughing-man-behind-the-devil-mask/) [Mattias Konradsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattias-konradsson/) > [“when God made man the devil was at his elbow. A creature that can do anything. Make a machine. And a machine to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-god-made-man-the-devil-was-at-his-elbow-a-creature-that-can-do/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Every man for himself, the devil for all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burton/every-man-for-himself-the-devil-for-all/) [Robert Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burton/) > [I spurn success to the Summit would like. In man and the devil from where I have not seen any difference between](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/i-spurn-success-to-the-summit-would-like-in-man-and-the-devil-from/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [One cannot distinguish between human and non-human acts. One cannot point, one cannot say this man here is a man and that man there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/one-cannot-distinguish-between-human-and-non-human-acts-one-cannot/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Fear is the tool of a man-made devil. Self-confident faith in one's self is both the man-made weapon which defeats this devil and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/fear-is-the-tool-of-a-man-made-devil-self-confident-faith-in-one-s/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“Whatever gods there be, there is something godlike in man, as there is also something of the devil in him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/whatever-gods-there-be-there-is-something-godlike-in-man-as-there-is/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [The white man is a devil. If he is not a devil, let him prove it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-white-man-is-a-devil-if-he-is-not-a-devil-let-him-prove-it/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [History proves that the white man is a devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/history-proves-that-the-white-man-is-a-devil/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Human life has not a surer friend, nor oftentimes a greater enemy, than hope. It is the miserable man's god, which in the hardest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-feltham/human-life-has-not-a-surer-friend-nor-oftentimes-a-greater-enemy-than/) [Owen Feltham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-feltham/) > [No man is a devil in his own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-man-is-a-devil-in-his-own-mind/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's a mystery. A man's at odds to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-mind-cause-his-mind-is/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## 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 Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I mean, the more a man was in the Devil's power, the less he would be aware of it, on the principle that a man is still fairly sober as long as he knows he's drunk.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. 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