Ye cannot know eternal reality by a definition.

C.s. Lewis
About This Quote

The idea that you cannot know eternal reality by a definition strongly implies that people who seek definitions are fools. Yet, definitions are the means by which we understand the world, and they are indispensable to human understanding. Psychology professor James B. Allen says, “A definition is an attempt to give us meaning to life.” The psychology of words explains how meaning is created by language.

Words are symbols that stand for other things or ideas. Philosopher George Santayana said, “Words are the signs of our thoughts; thoughts are the signs of our souls; but souls are not thoughts; they are something beyond words, something which thought does not know.” Without definitions, there would be no way to know how much anything weighs or what color it is or what sound it makes or how fast it goes or how far away it is.

Source: The Great Divorce

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