Meanwhile, on afternoons and on Sundays, Surrey lay open to me. County Down in the holidays and Surrey in the term — it was an excellent contrast. Perhaps, since their beauties were such that even a fool could not force them into competition, this cured me once and for all of the pernicious tendency to compare and to prefer — an operation that does little good even when we are dealing with works of art and endless harm when we are dealing with nature. Total surrender is the first step toward the fruition of either. Shut your mouth; open your eyes and ears. Take in what is there and give no thought to what might have been there or what is somewhere else. That can come later, if it must come at all.
— C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life (Published in 1955. Describes his life from early childhood in the late 1800s to 1931.)
Daybreak. September 6, 2020. 6:02 am. 63° F. Humidity: 84%. Wind: 4 mph. Gusts: 8 mph. Cloud Cover: 5%. The Cove, Stamford, CT
Live & Learn 
total surrender is the way
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Shinto!
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i can’t be anything else –
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Yes…
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beautiful photo, once again, David.
Lewis’s words remind me of Teddy Roosevelt’s quote: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
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Thanks Jim. Love that quote.
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That has been my standard advice to teenage kids. Keep your ears (and eyes) open and your mouth shut. Works for adults too.
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Sure does. 😀
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Please, read all … “Shut your mouth; open your eyes and ears. Take in what is there and give no thought to what might have been there or what is somewhere else. That can come later, if it must come at all.” — C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life (Published in 1955. Describes his life from early childhood in the late 1800s to 1931.).
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C.S. Lewis is one of my people!
I hadn’t realised his connection to Co. Down which is so incredibly beautiful. Wise words, indeed. Thanks for sharing.
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This book is my first immersion into Lewis’ work. Man’s writing is brilliant.
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A Grief Observed is one of his that has really stayed with me.
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Is this the path you’re taking now to be a convert? You couldn’t have picked a better master, me thinks.
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My first reading of the works of Mr Lewis. I’m listening. And trying.
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Sent you a lot Dave. But thought what I found below can add to Lewis’ thinking.
C.S. Lewis was a convert from atheism to Christianity. He became an Anglican but couldn’t make the final leap to Catholicism. G.K Chesterton was instrumental in that conversion.
-Alan
For the pre-conversion Lewis, the entire cosmos was empty, devoid of intent and hostile to life. Humanity was the most civilized product of that aimlessness and so humanity ought to preserve itself. But the universe is a hostile place, so there’s always going to be a defensive, us-against them, zero sum basis for Lewis’ attitude toward the world, pre conversion. In some ways, his view of the world takes us back to Homer: The world is essentially chaotic, there is no right or wrong, no fixed trajectory, no narrative.
Lewis was also a firm believer in the ability of humanity to continue improving itself by extending its rule over nature through the use of technology, science and reason. Essentially, man exists in a state of perpetual war against the chaotic nature of the cosmos. This materialistic pessimism was not uncommon during Lewis’ day. It was a popular line of thought in the late 19th and early 20th century: You’ll find echoes of it in Nietzsche, George Bernard Shaw, and H.G. Wells (all men that Chesterton debated quite vigorously in print, in live debates, or both). Not only was this line of thought common enough, but Lewis’ personal life made it almost inevitable that he would at least be attracted to it.
He then goes on to discuss Chesterton and his prose, which was instrumental in C.S. Lewis turning to the Christian faith. He quotes from Philip Yancey’s excellent Chesterton intro in Soul Survivor:
Chesterton viewed this world as a sort of cosmic shipwreck. A person in search of meaning resembles a sailor who awakens from a deep sleep and discovers treasure strewn about, relics from a civilization he can barely remember. One by one he picks up the relics — gold coins, a compass, fine clothing — and tries to discern their meaning. Fallen humanity is in such a state. Good things on earth — the natural world, beauty, love, joy — still bear traces of their original purpose, but amnesia mars the image of God in us.
For Chesterton, and also for me, the riddles of God proved more satisfying than the answers proposed without God. I too came to believe in the good things of this world — first revealed to me in music, romantic love, and nature — as relics of a wreck, and as bright clues into the nature of a reality shrouded in darkness. God had answered Job’s questions with more questions, as if to say the truths of existence lie far beyond the range of our comprehension. We are left with remnants of God’s original design and the freedom, always the freedom, to cast our lots with such a God, or against him.
In addition to the problem of pain, G.K. Chesterton seemed equally fascinated by its opposite, the problem of pleasure. He found materialism too thin to account for the sense of wonder and delight that gives an almost magical dimension to such basic human acts as sex, childbirth, play, and artistic creation.
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Alan. Thank you. I feel privileged that you took the time to share this. And so love your conclusion and the punch line:
“G.K. Chesterton seemed equally fascinated by its opposite, the problem of pleasure. He found materialism too thin to account for the sense of wonder and delight that gives an almost magical dimension to such basic human acts as sex, childbirth, play, and artistic creation.”
Powerful and true. Thank you again Alan. I’m on my own search, and this was most helpful. As was C.S. Lewis’ discussion and analysis of Joy.
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You’re welcome, Dave. My pleasure to do so. Read Lewis and Chesterton. Those two will be great guides. Try “Mere Christianity” by Lewis. And “The Everlasting Man” by Chesterton. Don’t be concerned if you find some things going over your head. It’s not so much about the head as it is the heart. Or, the vital balance between the two; truth and compassion. One thing is for sure. You will be different; frighteningly for the better.
-Alan
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Alan, thank you. I appreciate you and your recommendations very much.
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