--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But supposing I could be so generous as…" description: "\"“But supposing I could be so generous as to take delight in this, stil it is only a child; and I can't centre all my hopes in a child: that is only one..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/anne-bronte-1444_children_but-supposing-i-could-be-so-generous-as_2854788.jpg" --- # But supposing I could be so generous as to take delight in… ![“But supposing I could be so generous as to take delight in this, stil it is only a child; and I can't centre all my hopes in a child: that is only one degree better than devoting oneself to a dog” quote by Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/anne-bronte-1444_children_but-supposing-i-could-be-so-generous-as_2854788.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/anne-bronte-1444_children_but-supposing-i-could-be-so-generous-as_2854788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef1/anne-bronte-1444_children_but-supposing-i-could-be-so-generous-as_2854788.jpg) > ““But supposing I could be so generous as to take delight in this, stil it is only a child; and I can't centre all my hopes in a child: that is only one degree better than devoting oneself to a dog”” [Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Childhood is a simple, pure source of hope, but it cannot be the sole focus of life. **In simple terms:** Childhood hope is limited. Key Takeaway Seek broader sources of meaning. Themes childhood hope growth Mood nostalgic reflective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - parenting - personal development - education Key Concepts psychology development purpose Questions to Reflect On - What adult goals replace childhood hopes? - How do you balance nostalgia with progress? A Different Perspective Relying solely on childhood can hinder adult maturity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Devoting Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devoting-oneself-3819895/) [Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous/) [Generous Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generous-delight-3819894/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Supposing Generous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposing-generous-3819893/) ## Related quotes > [I bow in reverence before the emotions of every melted heart…The more intense the delight in their presence, the more poignant the impression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-martineau/i-bow-in-reverence-before-the-emotions-of-every-melted-heart-the-more/) [James Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-martineau/) > [Scatter good will and love and prayers all around, everywhere, and you will be astonished, not only by what it does for other people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/scatter-good-will-and-love-and-prayers-all-around-everywhere-and-you/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/sometimes-when-we-are-generous-in-small-barely-detectable-ways-it-can/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [“She wasn’t nice. She was rarely polite. And no one who knew her well would have called her a generous woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-schenkar/she-wasn-t-nice-she-was-rarely-polite-and-no-one-who-knew-her-well/) [Joan Schenkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-schenkar/) > [“If old age is good for anything it's good for being generous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kuhn/if-old-age-is-good-for-anything-it-s-good-for-being-generous/) [William Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kuhn/) > [To be generous is the best way to live in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/to-be-generous-is-the-best-way-to-live-in-this-world/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [“You are too generous to trifle with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/you-are-too-generous-to-trifle-with-me/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Wisdom is the art of being courageous and generous with the unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-art-of-being-courageous-and-generous-with-the-unknown/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have always been generous because I know that I have done well in life and I believe it is part of my duty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/i-have-always-been-generous-because-i-know-that-i-have-done-well-in/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [“life is really generous to those who pursue their Personal Legend”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/life-is-really-generous-to-those-who-pursue-their-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The generous mind adds dignity to every act, and nothing misbecomes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/the-generous-mind-adds-dignity-to-every-act-and-nothing-misbecomes-it/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a generous person, when you get money and fame, you're going to be more generous. If you're a sharer, you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/if-you-re-a-generous-person-when-you-get-money-and-fame-you-re-going/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [Generous in spirit, richly poetic, and packed with memorable characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-millman/generous-in-spirit-richly-poetic-and-packed-with-memorable-characters/) [Lawrence Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-millman/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Anne Brontë > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [“There was a certain graceful ease and freedom about all he said and did, that gave a sense of repose and expansion to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-was-a-certain-graceful-ease-and-freedom-about-all-he-said-and/) [Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [“When a lady does consent to listen to an argument against her own opinions, she is always predetermined to withstand it - to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/when-a-lady-does-consent-to-listen-to-an-argument-against-her-own/) [Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [“There are, I suppose, some men as vain, as selfish, and as heartless as she is, and, perhaps, such women may be useful to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-i-suppose-some-men-as-vain-as-selfish-and-as-heartless-as/) [Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [ “By his \[God's\] help I will arise and address myself diligently to my appointed duty. 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