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Christian giant CS Lewis on what a “be nice” society produces
Posted on 1/9/26 at 10:44 am
Posted on 1/9/26 at 10:44 am
I think this succinctly describes what the American left views itself as, and what that will eventually lead to. Not only is this applicable to modern politics, but also modern parenting, imo.
ETA full quote:
Did you know C.S. Lewis predicted the modern obsession with “being nice” would destroy the soul?
In The Abolition of Man, Lewis argues that when a society stops believing in objective virtue, it doesn’t become tolerant… it becomes manipulable.
He calls the result “men without chests.”
People with appetites and intellects, but no courage, no honor, no trained moral instincts. They can calculate everything and defend nothing.
Lewis saw that once we reject inherited moral law, we don’t become free. We become raw material… easily shaped by propaganda, pleasure, and fear.
Modern man prides himself on compassion while quietly surrendering every standard that once gave compassion meaning.
Lewis’s insight is brutal: a civilization that educates clever cowards will eventually be ruled by tyrants or technicians.
Because when nothing is worth dying for, everything becomes negotiable… including human dignity.
Loading Twitter/X Embed...
If tweet fails to load, click here. ETA full quote:
Did you know C.S. Lewis predicted the modern obsession with “being nice” would destroy the soul?
In The Abolition of Man, Lewis argues that when a society stops believing in objective virtue, it doesn’t become tolerant… it becomes manipulable.
He calls the result “men without chests.”
People with appetites and intellects, but no courage, no honor, no trained moral instincts. They can calculate everything and defend nothing.
Lewis saw that once we reject inherited moral law, we don’t become free. We become raw material… easily shaped by propaganda, pleasure, and fear.
Modern man prides himself on compassion while quietly surrendering every standard that once gave compassion meaning.
Lewis’s insight is brutal: a civilization that educates clever cowards will eventually be ruled by tyrants or technicians.
Because when nothing is worth dying for, everything becomes negotiable… including human dignity.
This post was edited on 1/9/26 at 10:50 am
17
Posted on 1/9/26 at 10:46 am to High C
“Men without chests.” Didn’t know that Les Miles was a student of CS Lewis.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 10:54 am to SloaneRanger
quote:
“Men without chests.” Didn’t know that Les Miles was a student of CS Lewis.
I knew this was coming as soon as I read that quote.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 11:07 am to High C
quote:
Because when nothing is worth dying for, everything becomes negotiable… including human dignity.
Modern Progressivism.
CS Lewis is a giant in terms of interpreting culture vs. humanity and virtue. No one probably articulated truths better. He is spot on.
This post was edited on 1/9/26 at 11:08 am
Posted on 1/9/26 at 11:07 am to High C
quote:
CS Lewis
He was to prophetic about our current morality.
A man of great wisdom, thanks for posting.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 11:07 am to High C
Your premise that the left views itself as “being nice” is wrong. The left could care less. And there is nothing “nice” about them. If someone on the left takes a position, you can bet that position benefits them personally.
Lewis wasn’t talking about the left. He was talking about the fact that people know what is right, but will not take a stand against injustices. That being nice is the easy way out. I would argue he is referencing those on the right more than the left - those who see whats going on but will sacrifice nothing to prevent it
Lewis wasn’t talking about the left. He was talking about the fact that people know what is right, but will not take a stand against injustices. That being nice is the easy way out. I would argue he is referencing those on the right more than the left - those who see whats going on but will sacrifice nothing to prevent it
Posted on 1/9/26 at 11:09 am to High C
Damn. Now I feel ashamed for never reading The Abolition of Man.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 12:35 pm to High C
He also described what education would look like without meritocracy. From the Screwtape Letters:
quote:
The basic principle of the new education is to be that dunces and idlers must not be made to feel inferior to intelligent and industrious pupils. That would be ‘undemocratic’. These differences between the pupils—for they are obviously and nakedly individual differences—must be disguised. This can be done on various levels. At universities, examinations must be framed so that nearly all the students get good marks. Entrance examinations must be framed so that all, or nearly all, citizens can go to universities, whether they have any power (or wish) to profit by higher education or not.
At schools, the children who are too stupid or lazy to learn languages, mathematics and elementary science can be set to doing the things that children used to do in their spare time. Let them, for example, make mud pies and call it modelling. But all the time there must be no faintest hint that they are inferior to the children who are at work. Whatever nonsense they are engaged in must have—I believe the English already use the phrase—"parity of esteem." An even more drastic scheme is not impossible. Children who are fit to proceed to a higher class may be artificially kept back, because the others would get a trauma—Beelzebub, what a useful word!—by being left behind. The bright pupil thus remains democratically fettered to his own age group throughout his school career, and a boy who would be capable of tackling Aeschylus or Dante sits listening to his coeval's attempts to spell out 'A Cat Sat On A Mat'.
This post was edited on 1/9/26 at 12:36 pm
Posted on 1/9/26 at 1:07 pm to High C
What Lewis says ties nicely into this (posted by RollTide1987 previously):
Helen Andrews drops a bombshell: The 2020 "woke explosion" wasn't random hysteria — it was feminization hitting critical mass in institutions.
Her thesis: Wokeness = feminine patterns of behavior (consensus, relationships, making everyone happy) applied to places that flipped majority female around the same time.
Law schools tipped majority female in 2016, NYT staff ~55% female by 2018, managers now ~46% women.
Coincidence? Or cause?
3:11 clip — mind-bending take
Loading Twitter/X Embed...
If tweet fails to load, click here. Helen Andrews drops a bombshell: The 2020 "woke explosion" wasn't random hysteria — it was feminization hitting critical mass in institutions.
Her thesis: Wokeness = feminine patterns of behavior (consensus, relationships, making everyone happy) applied to places that flipped majority female around the same time.
Law schools tipped majority female in 2016, NYT staff ~55% female by 2018, managers now ~46% women.
Coincidence? Or cause?
3:11 clip — mind-bending take
Posted on 1/9/26 at 1:16 pm to High C
C.S. Lewis was the great intellectual of the 20th century. Someone like Jordan Petersen could have been, but someone will come in the next few years that will be as impactful.
As far as the feminization of everything, its scary how accurate that is. It started in the churches - the Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran and PCUSA have been destroyed by feminization - they have moved their targets to the Evangelical churches and have made an impact. Jen Hatmaker, Rachel Hollis - both have destroyed countless Evangelical churches under the guise of Christian feminism.
As far as the feminization of everything, its scary how accurate that is. It started in the churches - the Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran and PCUSA have been destroyed by feminization - they have moved their targets to the Evangelical churches and have made an impact. Jen Hatmaker, Rachel Hollis - both have destroyed countless Evangelical churches under the guise of Christian feminism.
This post was edited on 1/9/26 at 1:20 pm
Posted on 1/9/26 at 1:37 pm to High C
Everyone should read and ponder CS Lewis! EVERYONE!
Posted on 1/9/26 at 1:42 pm to High C
I see. You’re cohflating “being nice” with
Al lack of “objective virtue”, however you may define it…
Ok
Al lack of “objective virtue”, however you may define it…
Ok
Posted on 1/9/26 at 2:10 pm to VOR
quote:
I see. You’re cohflating “being nice” with Al lack of “objective virtue”, however you may define it… Ok
I’m not doing anything. Lewis wrote this, and I agree with it and the other thoughts from Lewis in this thread.
I really don’t care what VOR thinks or picks it apart.
Posted on 1/9/26 at 2:15 pm to High C
quote:
“men without chests.”
So he predicted the tranny movement
Posted on 1/9/26 at 2:26 pm to VOR
quote:
I see. You’re cohflating “being nice” with Al lack of “objective virtue”, however you may define it… Ok
Because there isn’t perfect clarity on the nature of humans and objective virtue, we should deny that objective virtue exists?
Okay, Foucault! Don’t you have some little boys to fondle?
Posted on 1/9/26 at 2:28 pm to TheBeezer
quote:
Damn. Now I feel ashamed for never reading The Abolition of Man.
This might surprise you, but it isn't too late to pick it up
Posted on 1/9/26 at 2:29 pm to Jimbeaux
quote:
Okay, Foucault! Don’t you have some little boys to fondle?
Odd how these things repeat themselves, eh?
Posted on 1/9/26 at 2:36 pm to RandRules
quote:
Your premise that the left views itself as “being nice” is wrong. The left could care less. And there is nothing “nice” about them.
I think that “being nice,” in this context, would equate to the modern term “virtue signaling.”
Posted on 1/9/26 at 2:50 pm to High C
It’s not that they themselves are “nice”.
It’s one of the weapons they use against their ideological opponents. They scream “cruel” and “hateful” at truth.
Notice how many have used Christ in their idiotic arguments.
It’s one of the weapons they use against their ideological opponents. They scream “cruel” and “hateful” at truth.
Notice how many have used Christ in their idiotic arguments.
This post was edited on 1/9/26 at 2:51 pm
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