--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people, if they had really learned…" description: "\"Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16b/c-s-lewis-2-132_giving_most-people-if-they-had-really-learned-t_1032258.png" --- # Most people, if they had really learned to look into their… ![“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16b/c-s-lewis-2-132_giving_most-people-if-they-had-really-learned-t_1032258.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16b/c-s-lewis-2-132_giving_most-people-if-they-had-really-learned-t_1032258.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16b/c-s-lewis-2-132_giving_most-people-if-they-had-really-learned-t_1032258.png) > “Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.” [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. People crave an unattainable desire, chasing false promises that never fulfill. **In simple terms:** Desire for something impossible. Key Takeaway Seek realistic fulfillment, not illusion. Themes desire disillusionment longing Mood melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationship expectations - career ambition - spiritual searching Key Concepts existential yearning false hope Questions to Reflect On - What is the “something” you truly seek? - How can you recognize and let go of false promises? A Different Perspective Chasing fantasies can cause chronic dissatisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-lewis/most-people-if-they-had-really-learned-to-look-into-their-own-hearts/) [CS Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cs-lewis/) > [I want to become acutely aware of all I've taken for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-want-to-become-acutely-aware-of-all-i-ve-taken-for-granted/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it. I want to become acutely aware of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/remember-remember-this-is-now-and-now-and-now-live-it-feel-it-cling/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I wish you had one of those fairy telescopes that can look into the hearts and souls of people a thousand leagues off, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuthbert-collingwood-1st-baron-collingwood/i-wish-you-had-one-of-those-fairy-telescopes-that-can-look-into-the/) Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood > [If you want to study yourself, look into the hearts of other people. If you want to study other people, look into your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/if-you-want-to-study-yourself-look-into-the-hearts-of-other-people-if/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [I want you to hate me as much as I loved you. Look around you, hearts change; I know they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-you-to-hate-me-as-much-as-i-loved-you-look-around-you-hearts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/i-don-t-see-how-you-can-respect-yourself-if-you-must-look-in-the/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Daughter, I have now lived a hundred and nine winters in this world and have never yet met any such thing as Luck. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/daughter-i-have-now-lived-a-hundred-and-nine-winters-in-this-world/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I hope people start to look at their lives as the most powerful, creative act they will ever offer this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-shadyac/i-hope-people-start-to-look-at-their-lives-as-the-most-powerful/) [Tom Shadyac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-shadyac/) > [You have a one of a kind gift to offer this world, and you are unique in the entire history of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/you-have-a-one-of-a-kind-gift-to-offer-this-world-and-you-are-unique/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [“You need to know where you want to go in life before you get there...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-need-to-know-where-you-want-to-go-in-life-before-you-get-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes you think you know what you want, she said, hugging her children, until you see how much more you can have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simon/sometimes-you-think-you-know-what-you-want-she-said-hugging-her/) [Rachel Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simon/) > [One of the principal reasons why so many fail to get what they want is because they do not definitely know what they want,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-d-larson/one-of-the-principal-reasons-why-so-many-fail-to-get-what-they-want/) [Christian D. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-d-larson/) > [If you don't know what you want, you will probably never get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/if-you-don-t-know-what-you-want-you-will-probably-never-get-it/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [“life is our battlefield. We must do what we know to do, not what we want to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/life-is-our-battlefield-we-must-do-what-we-know-to-do-not-what-we/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) ## 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 Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [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/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. 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