The following is part of a series exploring quotations attributed to C.S. Lewis that are questionable for one reason or another. My book (THE MISQUOTABLE C.S. LEWIS, releasing by April, 2018) collects material presented so far and will contain expressions not yet posted here (plus existing online material is updated in the book). That book will contain 75 quotations, so there are many quotes not yet posted (over two dozen). With so much material left, I hope to post a new quote each week. 

There is an “at a glance” page (CLICK HERE) to quickly see what has been posted so far in this series, which also includes a list of the other quotes I’ve identified as questionable. Also, if you haven’t already, consider reading the INTRODUCTION to this series to gain an understanding of the three main categories.

UPDATE (4/17/18) – The Misquotable C.S. Lewis is my book that examines 75 quotations attributed to Lewis that I caution you not to share. Some are falsely attributed to him, others are paraphrases of his words, and a few have context issues. Don’t share a quote attributed to Lewis unless you can confirm he wrote it and the meaning is clear without the context!   

“Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular.”

Here’s a saying that you won’t find any pretty pictures of online (or at least I couldn’t find any). That is, the above image of the quotation was one I had to create. However, there are a variety of websites that wrongly credit Lewis with this expression. I came to the conclusion that he didn’t write it despite the fact that the facts appeared to show respected author John R.W. Stott stated in a 1988 book that Lewis was the author. But what if there was more than one person with the last name of Lewis?

That’s what happen to this quotation. An online page from 2009 shared this quote, stating it was from C.S. Lewis and the proof was The Letters of John by John R.W. Stott. Once I discovered this, I wanted to find where Lewis wrote this, so I could read the material firsthand. Attempting to solve the mystery, I was initially able to find online a preview of the page that the expression was located in Stott’s book. There I clearly found Stott does claim “Lewis” as the author; however, the author he’s referring to is not the creator of Narnia, but  “G.P. Lewis.” I even purchased a copy of this G.P. Lewis’s book (The Johannine Epistles) to see the saying myself to confirm the information was correct.

Even though I discovered C.S. Lewis didn’t say this, I became curious about what he might have said that was closely related. In The Screwtape Letters you find Wormwood is told about the importance of shifting his patient’s compassion (“benevolence” is the word used by Lewis/Screwtape) outwardly “to people he does not know” so that any love for them will be “largely imaginary.” Thus, while Lewis did advocate being kind or showing respect and love to all we meet, he believed one should not neglect those nearest to you. Also in The Four Loves, Lewis wrote about how when we fully love God, then we will love those around us better.

The next article is:

“Thirty was so strange for me. I’ve really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult.”

Related Articles:

Exploring C.S. Lewis Misquotes and Misconceptions (6-part podcast series)

What Lewis NEVER Wrote  (Podcast)

Not Quite Lewis – Podcast Version

Not Quite Lewis – Questionable Lewisian Quotations (Conf. Paper)

Updated 3/11/2018