A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is... A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.

Summary

This quote by C.S. Lewis challenges the misconception that good people are immune to temptation. Lewis argues that only those who actively resist temptation truly understand its power. If someone succumbs to temptation quickly, they fail to realize how much stronger it could have become over time. Conversely, he suggests that people who live a life of continuously yielding to temptation are ignorant of the depths of their own badness because they have never experienced the struggle of resistance. Ultimately, Lewis highlights the importance of resisting temptation in order to gain a deeper understanding of oneself and the potential for both good and bad actions.

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