Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

  • Home
  • About
    • My CV
    • Books
    • Series
  • Newsletter
  • Advertising
  • Tools
You are here: Home / Potpourri / The Permanent Human Situation

The Permanent Human Situation

The Permanent Human Situation

This is C.S. Lewis’s answer to the question: What use is there for academic studies in a time of war?

That “permanent human situation” here, I think, being pain, suffering, and death.

How should we act differently in the face of these realities?!

Uh – yeah – these are always our realities…

As Lewis has said before, it is not evident that (in fear) you should alter your life in any major way.

His answer, in brief, is that such studies have the same use, and the same uselessness, in time of war as in time of peace, because “the war creates no absolutely new situation; it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always been lived on the edge of a precipice.”

-Alan Jacobs, The Year Of Our Lord 1943 (Amazon)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: PotpourriTagged With: #Education, #War

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Privacy Policy

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Notifications of all new posts by email.

Connect

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Search

Top Posts

  • The Tricky Lily Pad Riddle (You Probably Can't Solve)
    The Tricky Lily Pad Riddle (You Probably Can't Solve)
  • The Simple Joy Of Elevator Buttons
    The Simple Joy Of Elevator Buttons
  • Can You Solve The Bat And Ball Riddle?
    Can You Solve The Bat And Ball Riddle?
  • Stayed Up All Night
    Stayed Up All Night
  • God Gives Job Double Everything, Except This?
    God Gives Job Double Everything, Except This?
  • Instabooks 345
    Instabooks 345
  • The Tragedy Of Gina "Bronco" Bouza (1932-1957)
    The Tragedy Of Gina "Bronco" Bouza (1932-1957)
  • Instabooks 326
    Instabooks 326
  • How To Ask If She Is A Call Girl
    How To Ask If She Is A Call Girl
  • Wagon Train Morality
    Wagon Train Morality

Supporting = Loving

Buy Me a Coffee

Recent Posts

  • Where Did I Set My iPhone
  • Cold And Limp And All Of The
  • Random Thoughts – 375
  • King Of Love, By: I Am They
  • The Point Of Learning
  • Instabooks 371
  • A Dopamine Hit Just One
  • Random Thoughts – 374
  • A Leaders Necessary Exposure To Risk
  • The Compulsion To Read
  • Instabooks 370
  • With Tea Looking Out Of That
  • Random Thoughts – 373
  • Stayed Up All Night
  • Missed Internet Mania
  • Tenderloin, San Francisco
  • And That All This Is A Pause
  • Random Thoughts – 372
  • 100 Things That Made My Year – 2022
  • On Selling Popcorn
  • Instabooks 369
  • Solemn Week With My Parents
  • Random Thoughts – 371
  • Handle A Serious Interview
  • Instabooks 368

Copyright © 2023 · Generate Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in