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The Sexual plight of these children [those adolescents…

“The Sexual plight of these children [those adolescents experimenting sexually] is officially not mentioned. The revolutionary attack on hypocrisy by Ibsen, Freud, Ellis, Dreiser, did not succeed this far. Is it an eccentric opinion that an important part of the kids' restiveness in school from the…” quote by Paul Goodman
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““The Sexual plight of these children [those adolescents experimenting sexually] is officially not mentioned. The revolutionary attack on hypocrisy by Ibsen, Freud, Ellis, Dreiser, did not succeed this far. Is it an eccentric opinion that an important part of the kids' restiveness in school from the onset of puberty has to do with puberty? The teachers talk about it among themselves, all right. (In his school, Bertrand Russell thought it was better if they had sex, so they could give their undivided attention to mathematics, which was the main thing.) But since the objective factor does not exist in our schools, the school itself begins to be irrelevant. The question here is not whether sexuality should be discouraged or encouraged. That is an important issue, but far more important is that it is hard to grow up when existing facts are treated as though they do not exist. For then there is no dialogue, it is impossible to be taken seriously, to be understood, to make a bridge between oneself and society. In American society we have perfected a remarkable form of censorship: to allow every one his political right to say what he believes, but to swamp his little boat with literally thousands of millions of newspapers, mass-circulation magazines, best-selling books, broadcasts, and public pronouncements that disregard what he says and give the official way of looking at things.””

Paul Goodman

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A critique of societal denial of adolescent sexuality, arguing that censorship and overload prevent honest dialogue and personal growth.

In simple terms: Censorship of youth sexuality

Key Takeaway

Silence hinders maturity

Themes

sexuality censorship education dialogue societal norms

Mood

critical concerned

Type

essay polemic

When to use this quote

  • school policy debates
  • parent‑teacher meetings

Key Concepts

politics psychology

Practical Applications

  • academic essays
  • activism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What would open dialogue achieve?
  • How does media overload affect personal truth?
A Different Perspective

Some argue that protecting youth from explicit discussion is a moral duty, but this often leads to misinformation and stigma.

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