--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the whole world is running towards a…" description: "\"When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.\" — C. S. Lewis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/c-s-lewis-2-132_cliffs_when-the-whole-world-is-running-towards_2116654.png" --- # When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is… ![“When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/c-s-lewis-2-132_cliffs_when-the-whole-world-is-running-towards_2116654.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/c-s-lewis-2-132_cliffs_when-the-whole-world-is-running-towards_2116654.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/c-s-lewis-2-132_cliffs_when-the-whole-world-is-running-towards_2116654.png) > “When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.” [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. When everyone follows a dangerous path, the dissenting individual is seen as irrational. **In simple terms:** Going against the crowd can look crazy. Key Takeaway Trust your own judgment. Themes conformity individualism courage Mood thoughtful defiant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership decisions - ethical dilemmas - risk assessment Key Concepts social pressure critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - Do you value safety over truth? - How do you handle social pressure? A Different Perspective Opposition may be misunderstood and ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Novelists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelists/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Put passion into your efforts and milestones will start running in the opposite direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/put-passion-into-your-efforts-and-milestones-will-start-running-in/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“She's mine. She always has been, she always will be. We've been running in opposite directions for the last ten years, and we collide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarryn-fisher/she-s-mine-she-always-has-been-she-always-will-be-we-ve-been-running/) [Tarryn Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarryn-fisher/) > [She was the kind of gal that if she set her sights on a man, he'd be running in the opposite direction real quick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/she-was-the-kind-of-gal-that-if-she-set-her-sights-on-a-man-he-d-be/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) > [When the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sting/when-the-world-is-running-down-you-make-the-best-of-what-s-still/) [Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sting/) > [The world will and always will be running at the same pace as now,then and forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerril-thomas-abraham/the-world-will-and-always-will-be-running-at-the-same-pace-as-now/) [Jerril Thomas Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerril-thomas-abraham/) > [Running gives me a clearer perspective on the world ... I've always seen the world by running, and that has allowed me to view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grete-waitz/running-gives-me-a-clearer-perspective-on-the-world-i-ve-always-seen/) [Grete Waitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grete-waitz/) > [For every runner who tours the world running marathons, there are thousands who run to hear leaves and listen to rain and look to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-sheehan/for-every-runner-who-tours-the-world-running-marathons-there-are-2/) [George A. Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-sheehan/) > [Running gives me a clearer perspective on the world, and it makes me feel special. I've never been a traditional tourist. I've always seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grete-waitz/running-gives-me-a-clearer-perspective-on-the-world-and-it-makes-me/) [Grete Waitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grete-waitz/) > [For every runner who tours the world running marathons, there are thousands who run to hear the leaves and listen to the rain, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-every-runner-who-tours-the-world-running-marathons-there-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Baby, I'm a renegade like you. Baby, I'm searching too. I've been around the world, now I'm running back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/baby-i-m-a-renegade-like-you-baby-i-m-searching-too-i-ve-been-around/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I reckon it was always going to happen, one way or another. She wasn't made right for this world. She'd been running away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/i-reckon-it-was-always-going-to-happen-one-way-or-another-she-wasn-t/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Too often, the notion of progress is used as a code word for perfection, the chain of being in a different guise. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jones/too-often-the-notion-of-progress-is-used-as-a-code-word-for/) [Steve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jones/) > [“I don’t mean to interrupt your gossip free-for-all, but do you know if there’s a non-GMO or organic section in this grocery store? This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-march/i-don-t-mean-to-interrupt-your-gossip-free-for-all-but-do-you-know-if/) [Meghan March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-march/) > [We began intercepting Japanese radio transmissions, which indicated the two forces were very close to each other. We found out later that we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-adams/we-began-intercepting-japanese-radio-transmissions-which-indicated/) [Jack Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-adams/) ## 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 Cliffs quotes > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [We are about to change history, said Saphira. We’re throwing ourselves off a cliff without knowing how deep the water below is. Ah, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/we-are-about-to-change-history-said-saphira-we-re-throwing-ourselves/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [O the mind, mind has mountains; cliffs of fall Frightful, sheer, no-man-fathomed. Hold them cheap May who ne'er hung there. 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Does she think I would just fold my arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/and-yes-holden-would-keep-those-kids-from-falling-off-the-cliff-but/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I could see how easy it would be to fall into loving Bella. It would be exactly like falling: effortless. Not letting myself love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-could-see-how-easy-it-would-be-to-fall-into-loving-bella-it-would/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ignorantly is how we all fall in love; for it is a kind of fall. Closing our eyes, we leap from that cliff in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/ignorantly-is-how-we-all-fall-in-love-for-it-is-a-kind-of-fall/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Guernsey itself was overcrowded, but its cliffs were utterly empty. I spent a wonderful year with a friend, climbing them. 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