Adults, in their dealing with children, are insane," he…
![“Adults, in their dealing with children, are insane," he [Ed Ricketts] said. "And children know it too. Adults lay down rules they would not think of following, speak truths they do not believe. And yet they expect children to obey the rules, believe the truths, and admire and respect their parents…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/e88/john-steinbeck-71_adults_adults-in-their-dealing-with-children-ar_2873228.jpg)
““Adults, in their dealing with children, are insane," he [Ed Ricketts] said. "And children know it too. Adults lay down rules they would not think of following, speak truths they do not believe. And yet they expect children to obey the rules, believe the truths, and admire and respect their parents for this nonsense. Children must be very wise and secret to tolerate adults at all. And the greatest nonsense of all that adults expect children to believe is that people learn by experience. No greater lie was ever revered. And its falseness is immediately discerned by children since their parents obviously have not learned anything by experience. Far from learning, adults simply become set in a maze of prejudices and dreams and sets of rules whose origins they do not know and would not dare inspect for fear the whole structure might topple over on them. I think children instinctively know this," Ed said. "Intelligent children learn to conceal their knowledge and keep free of this howling mania.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Adults impose contradictory rules and false truths on children, who intuitively see the inconsistency and the lie that experience alone teaches.
In simple terms: Adults give children false lessons about rules and experience.
Key Takeaway
Question adult authority and encourage critical thinking in youth.
Themes
authority
education
childhood
truth
critical thinking
Mood
critical
skeptical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- parenting
- education reform
- child development
- skepticism
- intergenerational dialogue
Key Concepts
philosophy
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How can adults model authentic learning?
- What role does experience truly play in growth?
A Different Perspective
The quote may overgeneralize children’s capacity to discern adult hypocrisy.