--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the whole universe has no meaning, we…" description: "\"If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and theref..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/c-s-lewis-2-132_dark_if-the-whole-universe-has-no-meaning-we_2278281.jpg" --- # If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have… ![“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/c-s-lewis-2-132_dark_if-the-whole-universe-has-no-meaning-we_2278281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/c-s-lewis-2-132_dark_if-the-whole-universe-has-no-meaning-we_2278281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a70/c-s-lewis-2-132_dark_if-the-whole-universe-has-no-meaning-we_2278281.jpg) > “If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.” [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. If existence lacks purpose, we would never recognize that lack because perception itself depends on meaning. **In simple terms:** We can’t notice emptiness without a frame of reference. Key Takeaway Recognize that meaning is a construct of perception. Themes existentialism perception meaning philosophy Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal reflection - philosophical debate - literary analysis Key Concepts subjectivity cosmology epistemology Questions to Reflect On - Do we need inherent meaning to live fully? - How does perception shape our sense of purpose? A Different Perspective Meaning may be inherently subjective, not universal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-meaning-3093514/) [Know Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-dark-331034/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-universe-919202/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-meaning-734874/) ## Related quotes > [Put light against light - you have nothing. Put dark against dark - you have nothing. It's the contrast of light and dark that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ross/put-light-against-light-you-have-nothing-put-dark-against-dark-you/) [Bob Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ross/) > [When we look at the universe, what we see by eye or with our telescopes is only five percent of the universe. The rest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabiola-gianotti/when-we-look-at-the-universe-what-we-see-by-eye-or-with-our/) [Fabiola Gianotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabiola-gianotti/) > [Even a room which must be dark needs at least a crack of light to know how dark it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/even-a-room-which-must-be-dark-needs-at-least-a-crack-of-light-to/) [Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/) > [I can tell you about the universe, but she feels it; and when you feel the universe, it has a whole other meaning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-can-tell-you-about-the-universe-but-she-feels-it-and-when-you-feel/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I have always lived in a world in which I'm just a spot in history. My life is not the important point. I'm just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/i-have-always-lived-in-a-world-in-which-i-m-just-a-spot-in-history-my-2/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [“So in this sense, our Universe doesn’t give life meaning, but life gives our Universe meaning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-tegmark/so-in-this-sense-our-universe-doesn-t-give-life-meaning-but-life/) [Max Tegmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-tegmark/) > [We should provide the meaning of the universe in the meaning of our own lives. So I think science doesn't necessarily have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/we-should-provide-the-meaning-of-the-universe-in-the-meaning-of-our/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“There's no meaning. What's the meaning of the universe? What's the meaning of a flea? It's just there. We're so engaged in doing things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/there-s-no-meaning-what-s-the-meaning-of-the-universe-what-s-the/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Does a being who requires meaning find meaning in a universe that has no meaning?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/does-a-being-who-requires-meaning-find-meaning-in-a-universe-that-has/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/atheism-turns-out-to-be-too-simple-if-the-whole-universe-has-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It means that, against all popular expectations, the brightest sources of light in the universe are black holes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-magorrian/it-means-that-against-all-popular-expectations-the-brightest-sources/) [John Magorrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-magorrian/) > [Anything which throws light upon the Universe, anything which reveals us to ourselves, should be welcome in this world of riddles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/anything-which-throws-light-upon-the-universe-anything-which-reveals/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“The universe appears to be a system of very low density wherever we look. This is no accident. The expansion of the Universe weds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/the-universe-appears-to-be-a-system-of-very-low-density-wherever-we/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [Every day you play with the light of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/every-day-you-play-with-the-light-of-the-universe/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [A great and powerful being once said,let there be light and so the universe was created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-campton/a-great-and-powerful-being-once-said-let-there-be-light-and-so-the/) [Wes Campton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-campton/) ## 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 Dark quotes > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“I could see her will leaving and death seeping through her skin to skewer her soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/i-could-see-her-will-leaving-and-death-seeping-through-her-skin-to/) [J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [The soul wanders in the dark, until it finds love. And so, wherever our love goes, there we find our soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-zimmerman/the-soul-wanders-in-the-dark-until-it-finds-love-and-so-wherever-our/) [Mary Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-zimmerman/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [All comedy comes from a dark place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/all-comedy-comes-from-a-dark-place/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Let death bless me with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-death-bless-me-with-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“what do you call/that space between the dark geographies of sex?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethaway/what-do-you-call-that-space-between-the-dark-geographies-of-sex/) [Natasha Trethaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethaway/) > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. 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