--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The descent to hell is easy and those who…" description: "\"The descent to hell is easy and those who begin by worshipping power, soon worship evil.\" — C. S. Lewis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/c-s-lewis-2-132_descent_the-descent-to-hell-is-easy-and-those-wh_1835252.png" --- # The descent to hell is easy and those who begin by… ![“The descent to hell is easy and those who begin by worshipping power, soon worship evil.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/c-s-lewis-2-132_descent_the-descent-to-hell-is-easy-and-those-wh_1835252.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/c-s-lewis-2-132_descent_the-descent-to-hell-is-easy-and-those-wh_1835252.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/c-s-lewis-2-132_descent_the-descent-to-hell-is-easy-and-those-wh_1835252.png) > “The descent to hell is easy and those who begin by worshipping power, soon worship evil.” [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. Worship of power leads quickly to evil. **In simple terms:** Power worship leads to evil. Key Takeaway Beware of idolizing power. Themes ethics power morality Mood cautionary serious Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - political leadership - corporate culture - personal ambition Key Concepts idolatry corruption Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate power is becoming idolatry? - How can societies prevent power abuse? A Different Perspective Power can be used responsibly if checked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Descent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/descent/) [Descent Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/descent-hell-1453808/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hell Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell-easy-2305777/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) [Worship Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-evil-863042/) [Worshipping Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worshipping-power-2305778/) ## Related quotes > [“The descent into Hell is easy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/the-descent-into-hell-is-easy/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [Facilis decensus averni. The descent into hell is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/facilis-decensus-averni-the-descent-into-hell-is-easy/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [“The descent into hell is easy." said Alec. "You just said kiss the cook" "Dammit" said Simon. "I knew Jace was screwing with me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-descent-into-hell-is-easy-said-alec-you-just-said-kiss-the-cook/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Facilis descensus Averni," he whispered, his ominous and preternatural words striking her very soul. "The descent to Hell is easy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/facilis-descensus-averni-he-whispered-his-ominous-and-preternatural/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [Oh you who are born of the gods, easy is the descent into Hell. The door of darkness stands open day and night. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/oh-you-who-are-born-of-the-gods-easy-is-the-descent-into-hell-the/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [Only the descent into the hell of self-knowledge can pave the way to godliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/only-the-descent-into-the-hell-of-self-knowledge-can-pave-the-way-to/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [You are my angel and my damnation; in your presence I reach divine ecstasy and in your absence I descent to hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/you-are-my-angel-and-my-damnation-in-your-presence-i-reach-divine/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I do not wish upon anyone a descent into hell. But if your life has to be turned inside out in order for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/i-do-not-wish-upon-anyone-a-descent-into-hell-but-if-your-life-has-to/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [Easy is the descent to hell; all night long, all day, the doors of dark Hades stand open; but to retrace the path; to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/easy-is-the-descent-to-hell-all-night-long-all-day-the-doors-of-dark/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [“Sin so contaminates every area of our being that deeds done in religious service are tainted with self-love, self-seeking, self-worship...Not only do our evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-phillips/sin-so-contaminates-every-area-of-our-being-that-deeds-done-in/) [Dan Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-phillips/) > [“Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful; it is that they are unconscious. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/look-the-insidious-thing-about-these-forms-of-worship-is-not-that/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Scientology is not written with disrespect toward God. It doesn't worship something that is evil. It is scientific, mathematical, and spiritual. The black community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-e-fresh/scientology-is-not-written-with-disrespect-toward-god-it-doesn-t/) [Doug E. Fresh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-e-fresh/) > [“If even God has a hell, which is his love for mankind, then any man has his hell within easy reach, and that's his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-even-god-has-a-hell-which-is-his-love-for-mankind-then-any-man-has/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The path to hell is an easy one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-path-to-hell-is-an-easy-one/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Facilis descensus averno - The decent into hell is easy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/facilis-descensus-averno-the-decent-into-hell-is-easy/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## 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? 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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 Descent quotes > [Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow For Thine is the Kingdom Between the conception And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/between-the-idea-and-the-reality-between-the-motion-and-the-act-falls/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Contrary to what certain governments say, human rights are universal. Arbitrary detention, torture and discrimination hurt the human dignity of anybody, whatever his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/contrary-to-what-certain-governments-say-human-rights-are-universal/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [I am of an African-Jamaican descent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-mitchell/i-am-of-an-african-jamaican-descent/) [Liz Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-mitchell/) > [The sum of all that makes a just man happy Consists in the well choosing of his wife: And there, well to discharge it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-massinger/the-sum-of-all-that-makes-a-just-man-happy-consists-in-the-well/) [Philip Massinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-massinger/) > [I care not whether the soldiers are of Milesian, Teutonic, African or Angelo-Saxon descent. I despise the principle that make a difference between them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thaddeus-stevens/i-care-not-whether-the-soldiers-are-of-milesian-teutonic-african-or/) [Thaddeus Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thaddeus-stevens/) > [The descent to the infernal regions is easy enough, but to retrace one's steps, and reach the air above, there's the rub.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/the-descent-to-the-infernal-regions-is-easy-enough-but-to-retrace-one/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [I would say to you that Americans of Hispanic descent want desperately to give their children the chances they never had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-would-say-to-you-that-americans-of-hispanic-descent-want/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Our Lord's descent from the holy heights of the Mount of Transfiguration was more than a physical return from greater to lesser altitudes; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-talmage/our-lord-s-descent-from-the-holy-heights-of-the-mount-of/) [James E. 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