Become New with John Ortberg 29. The Inner Ring
Sep 16, 2021
A reflection on the ache of being left out and why fear of the “inner ring” warps relationships. C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters is used to spotlight how vanity, mimicry, and secret alliances corrupt character. Stories show how inner rings operate at work, school, and church. A call to choose inclusive friendship and a truer kind of belonging.
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Reflect On Who Influences You
- Try reflecting on who your friends are and who you want to become more like to shape healthy influence.
- Ortberg prompts concrete questions about who supports you, who you admire, and what you can do to strengthen those friendships.
The Inner Ring Controls Real Influence
- John Ortberg highlights C.S. Lewis's concept of the inner ring as an unwritten network that actually governs influence and belonging.
- Lewis shows this hidden system makes people silent or performative to gain acceptance, often contrary to official hierarchies and values.
Pretending To Belong Changes You
- Desire to join the inner ring is a powerful motivator that can lead good people to do bad things.
- Lewis argues that pretending to belong changes people over time because "all mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be."
