--- title: "10 Long Quotes By Alice Miller" description: "10 Long quotes by Alice Miller. Plus more from Alice Miller and more Long sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/alice-miller-3713_esteem_we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long_2939523.png" --- > [We can never do the right thing as long as we are out to please someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long-as-we-are-out-to-please/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/alice-miller-3713_esteem_we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long_2939523.png) > [For the human soul is virtually indestructible, and its ability to rise from the ashes remains as long as the body draws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/for-the-human-soul-is-virtually-indestructible-and-its-ability-to/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/alice-miller-3713_ability_for-the-human-soul-is-virtually-indestru_1969300.png) > [someday we will regard our children not as creatures to manipulate or to change but rather as messengers from a world we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/someday-we-will-regard-our-children-not-as-creatures-to-manipulate-or/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/alice-miller-3713_able_someday-we-will-regard-our-children-not_685368.jpg) > [Sadism is not an infectious disease that strikes a person all of a sudden. It has a long prehistory in childhood and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/sadism-is-not-an-infectious-disease-that-strikes-a-person-all-of-a/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e55/alice-miller-3713_childhood_sadism-is-not-an-infectious-disease-that_3222517.png) > [Child abuse is still sanctioned — indeed, held in high regard — in our society as long as it is defined as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/child-abuse-is-still-sanctioned-indeed-held-in-high-regard-in-our/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/alice-miller-3713_abuse_child-abuse-is-still-sanctioned-indeed-h_2012232.png) > [We are still barely conscious of how harmful it is to treat children in a degrading manner. Treating them with respect and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/we-are-still-barely-conscious-of-how-harmful-it-is-to-treat-children/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/alice-miller-3713_child_we-are-still-barely-conscious-of-how-har_3109187.png) > [Without realizing that the past is constantly determining their present actions, they avoid learning anything about their history. They continue to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/without-realizing-that-the-past-is-constantly-determining-their/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/alice-miller-3713_action_without-realizing-that-the-past-is-const_3019835.png) > [In the short term, corporal punishment may produce obedience. But it is a fact documented by research that in the long term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/in-the-short-term-corporal-punishment-may-produce-obedience-but-it-is/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/alice-miller-3713_addiction_in-the-short-term-corporal-punishment-ma_2964915.jpg) > [It was not the beautiful or pleasant feelings that gave me new insight, but the ones against which I fought most strongly:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/it-was-not-the-beautiful-or-pleasant-feelings-that-gave-me-new/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alice-miller-3713_beautiful_it-was-not-the-beautiful-or-pleasant-fee_2749606.jpg) > [It is unlikely that someone could proclaim "truths" that are counter to physical laws for very long (for example, that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/it-is-unlikely-that-someone-could-proclaim-truths-that-are-counter-to/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/alice-miller-3713_appearing_it-is-unlikely-that-someone-could-procla_2449621.jpg) ## Other authors on Long ## More by Alice Miller > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Wherever I look, I see signs of the commandment to honor one's parents and nowhere of a commandment that calls for the respect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/wherever-i-look-i-see-signs-of-the-commandment-to-honor-one-s-parents/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [The art of not experiencing feelings. A child can experience her feelings only when there is somebody there who accepts her fully, understands her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/the-art-of-not-experiencing-feelings-a-child-can-experience-her/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Disrespect is the weapon of the weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/disrespect-is-the-weapon-of-the-weak/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [“Even if one ultimately risks losing all contact with oneself and merely functioning as a mask, an "as if" personality, there are always drugs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/even-if-one-ultimately-risks-losing-all-contact-with-oneself-and/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [“Thus he spent his whole life searching for his own truth, but it remained hidden to him because he had learned at a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/thus-he-spent-his-whole-life-searching-for-his-own-truth-but-it/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [“Most people do exactly the opposite. Without realizing that the past is constantly determining their present actions, they avoid learning anything about their history.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/most-people-do-exactly-the-opposite-without-realizing-that-the-past/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [People who, as children, were intellectually far beyond their parents and therefore admired by them, but who also therefore had to solve their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/people-who-as-children-were-intellectually-far-beyond-their-parents/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Parents are indeed capable of routinely torturing their children without anyone interceding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/parents-are-indeed-capable-of-routinely-torturing-their-children/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Ultimately the body will rebel. Even if it can be temporarily pacified with the help of drugs, cigarettes or medicine, it usually has the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/ultimately-the-body-will-rebel-even-if-it-can-be-temporarily-pacified/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [The child has a primary need to be regarded and respected as the person he really is at any given time, and as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/the-child-has-a-primary-need-to-be-regarded-and-respected-as-the/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [For some years now, there has been proof that the devastating effects of the traumatization of children take their inevitable tollon society--a fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/for-some-years-now-there-has-been-proof-that-the-devastating-effects/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [“The older we get, the more difficult it is to find other people who can give us the love our parents denied us. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/the-older-we-get-the-more-difficult-it-is-to-find-other-people-who/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [It is very difficult for people to believe the simple fact that every persecutor was once a victim. Yet it should be very obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/it-is-very-difficult-for-people-to-believe-the-simple-fact-that-every/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [We don't yet know, above all, what the world might be like if children were to grow up without being subjected to humiliation, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/we-don-t-yet-know-above-all-what-the-world-might-be-like-if-children/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/alice-miller/#itemlist", "name": "10 Long Quotes By Alice Miller", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can never do the right thing as long as we are out to please someone else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long-as-we-are-out-to-please/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/alice-miller-3713_esteem_we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long_2939523.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/alice-miller-3713_esteem_we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long_2939523.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/alice-miller-3713_esteem_we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long_2939523.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can never do the right thing as long as we are out to please someone else.” — Alice Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For the human soul is virtually indestructible, and its ability to rise from the ashes remains as long as the body draws breath.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/for-the-human-soul-is-virtually-indestructible-and-its-ability-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/alice-miller-3713_ability_for-the-human-soul-is-virtually-indestru_1969300.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/alice-miller-3713_ability_for-the-human-soul-is-virtually-indestru_1969300.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/alice-miller-3713_ability_for-the-human-soul-is-virtually-indestru_1969300.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For the human soul is virtually indestructible, and its ability to rise from the ashes remains as long as…” — Alice Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "someday we will regard our children not as creatures to manipulate or to change but rather as messengers from a world we once deeply knew, but which we have long since forgotten, who can reveal to us more about the true secrets of life, and also our own lives, than our parents were ever able to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/someday-we-will-regard-our-children-not-as-creatures-to-manipulate-or/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/alice-miller-3713_able_someday-we-will-regard-our-children-not_685368.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/alice-miller-3713_able_someday-we-will-regard-our-children-not_685368.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68a/alice-miller-3713_able_someday-we-will-regard-our-children-not_685368.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“someday we will regard our children not as creatures to manipulate or to change but rather as messengers…” — Alice Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sadism is not an infectious disease that strikes a person all of a sudden. 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Treating them with respect and recognizing the consequences of their being humiliated are by no means intellectual matters; otherwise, their importance would long since have been generally recognized.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/we-are-still-barely-conscious-of-how-harmful-it-is-to-treat-children/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/alice-miller-3713_child_we-are-still-barely-conscious-of-how-har_3109187.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/alice-miller-3713_child_we-are-still-barely-conscious-of-how-har_3109187.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/426/alice-miller-3713_child_we-are-still-barely-conscious-of-how-har_3109187.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are still barely conscious of how harmful it is to treat children in a degrading manner. 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They continue to live in their repressed childhood situation, ignoring the fact that is no longer exists, continuing to fear and avoid dangers that, although once real, have not been real for a long time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/without-realizing-that-the-past-is-constantly-determining-their/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/alice-miller-3713_action_without-realizing-that-the-past-is-const_3019835.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/alice-miller-3713_action_without-realizing-that-the-past-is-const_3019835.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b13/alice-miller-3713_action_without-realizing-that-the-past-is-const_3019835.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Without realizing that the past is constantly determining their present actions, they avoid learning…” — Alice Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the short term, corporal punishment may produce obedience. But it is a fact documented by research that in the long term the results are inability to learn, violence and rage, bullying, cruelty, inability to feel another's pain, especially that of one's own children, even drug addiction and suicide, unless there are enlightened or at least helping witnesses on hand to prevent that development.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/in-the-short-term-corporal-punishment-may-produce-obedience-but-it-is/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/alice-miller-3713_addiction_in-the-short-term-corporal-punishment-ma_2964915.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/alice-miller-3713_addiction_in-the-short-term-corporal-punishment-ma_2964915.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c56/alice-miller-3713_addiction_in-the-short-term-corporal-punishment-ma_2964915.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the short term, corporal punishment may produce obedience. 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It was precisely through these experiences, which I had shunned for so long, that I became certain that I now understood something about my life, stemming from the core of my being, something that I could not have learned from any book.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/it-was-not-the-beautiful-or-pleasant-feelings-that-gave-me-new/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alice-miller-3713_beautiful_it-was-not-the-beautiful-or-pleasant-fee_2749606.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alice-miller-3713_beautiful_it-was-not-the-beautiful-or-pleasant-fee_2749606.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/alice-miller-3713_beautiful_it-was-not-the-beautiful-or-pleasant-fee_2749606.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was not the beautiful or pleasant feelings that gave me new insight, but the ones against which I fought…” — Alice Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is unlikely that someone could proclaim \"truths\" that are counter to physical laws for very long (for example, that it is healthy for children to run around in bathing suits in winter and in fur coats in summer) without appearing ridiculous. But it is perfectly normal to speak of the necessity of striking and humiliating children and robbing them of their autonomy, at the same time using such high-sounding words as chastising, upbringing, and guiding onto the right path.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Miller" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/it-is-unlikely-that-someone-could-proclaim-truths-that-are-counter-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/alice-miller-3713_appearing_it-is-unlikely-that-someone-could-procla_2449621.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/alice-miller-3713_appearing_it-is-unlikely-that-someone-could-procla_2449621.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f7/alice-miller-3713_appearing_it-is-unlikely-that-someone-could-procla_2449621.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is unlikely that someone could proclaim \"truths\" that are counter to physical laws for very long (for…” — Alice Miller", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/alice-miller/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/alice-miller/", "name": "Long Quotes by Alice Miller", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/alice-miller/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/alice-miller-3713_esteem_we-can-never-do-the-right-thing-as-long_2939523.png" }, "description": "10 Long quotes by Alice Miller. 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