--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is another more subtle way in which…" description: "\"There is another more subtle way in which the innocence of childhood is lost: when the child is infected with the desire to become somebody. Contemplat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/anthony-de-mello-1331_ambition_there-is-another-more-subtle-way-in-whic_2330641.jpg" --- # There is another more subtle way in which the innocence of… ![“There is another more subtle way in which the innocence of childhood is lost: when the child is infected with the desire to become somebody. Contemplate the crowds of people who are striving might and main to become, not what Nature intended them to be- musicians, cooks, mechanics, carpenters…” quote by Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/anthony-de-mello-1331_ambition_there-is-another-more-subtle-way-in-whic_2330641.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/anthony-de-mello-1331_ambition_there-is-another-more-subtle-way-in-whic_2330641.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/anthony-de-mello-1331_ambition_there-is-another-more-subtle-way-in-whic_2330641.jpg) > “There is another more subtle way in which the innocence of childhood is lost: when the child is infected with the desire to become somebody. Contemplate the crowds of people who are striving might and main to become, not what Nature intended them to be- musicians, cooks, mechanics, carpenters, gardeners, inventors- but "somebody": to become successful, famous, powerful; to become something that will bring not quiet and self-fulfillment, but self-glorification and self-expansion” [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children lose innocence when they chase fame and power instead of authentic self‑fulfillment, leading to ego‑driven lives. **In simple terms:** Seeking fame erodes true innocence. Key Takeaway Pursue authentic purpose, not fame. Themes innocence ego authenticity Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career ambition - social media - education - parenting Key Concepts Psychology spiritual growth Questions to Reflect On - What does “being somebody” truly mean? - How can we nurture genuine fulfillment? A Different Perspective Society often rewards ego over authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Becoming successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming-successful/) [Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenter/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Fulfillment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfillment/) [Gardener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardener/) [Glorification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorification/) [Innocence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocence/) [Inventor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor/) [Mechanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanic/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self fulfillment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-fulfillment/) [Self glorification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-glorification/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) ## Related quotes > [“Though glorification of the self has been a central motif in human history since the Fall, the individual autonomy of the Enlightenment has further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-heide/though-glorification-of-the-self-has-been-a-central-motif-in-human/) [Gale Heide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-heide/) > [I may be wrong, but it seems rare in our age to find a widely praised person whose own mouth is not the source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/i-may-be-wrong-but-it-seems-rare-in-our-age-to-find-a-widely-praised/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [Individuals motivated by self-interest, self-indulgence, and a false sense of self-sufficiency pursue selfish ambition for the purpose of self-glorification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-mahaney/individuals-motivated-by-self-interest-self-indulgence-and-a-false/) [C. J. Mahaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-mahaney/) > [One of the things that people sense is that you are not doing this for self-glorification, you are doing it for the sake of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/one-of-the-things-that-people-sense-is-that-you-are-not-doing-this/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Therefore the Sage embraces Unity, and is a model for all under Heaven. He is free from self-display, therefore he shines forth; from self-assertion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/therefore-the-sage-embraces-unity-and-is-a-model-for-all-under-heaven/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Ultimate peace begins within; when we find peace within there will be no more conflict, no more occasion for war. If this is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/ultimate-peace-begins-within-when-we-find-peace-within-there-will-be/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [Haiku is a particularly Zen form of poetry; for Zen detests egoism in the form of calculated effects or self-glorification of any sort. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bancroft/haiku-is-a-particularly-zen-form-of-poetry-for-zen-detests-egoism-in/) [Anne Bancroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bancroft/) > [Pride takes innumerable forms but has only one end: self-glorification. That’s the motive and ultimate purpose of pride—to rob God of legitimate glory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-mahaney/pride-takes-innumerable-forms-but-has-only-one-end-self-glorification/) [C. J. Mahaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-mahaney/) > [“Self glorification makes life hungry & empty. Glorifying God (giving back all glory to God) fulfills it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indonesia123/self-glorification-makes-life-hungry-empty-glorifying-god-giving-back/) indonesia123 > [Any effort that has self-glorification as its final endpoint is bound to end in disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/any-effort-that-has-self-glorification-as-its-final-endpoint-is-bound/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [Parents don't want their children to lose that purity and innocence of childhood. We want to bottle that and hold onto that, but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/parents-don-t-want-their-children-to-lose-that-purity-and-innocence/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [Choices, more choices than we like afterward to believe, are made far backward in the innocence of childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/choices-more-choices-than-we-like-afterward-to-believe-are-made-far/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [The innocence of childhood is like the innocence of a lot of animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/the-innocence-of-childhood-is-like-the-innocence-of-a-lot-of-animals/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [“the English novel is childish because what is desired is not maturity and wisdom but a return to the safety and innocence of childhood—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/the-english-novel-is-childish-because-what-is-desired-is-not-maturity/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [Not even the brightest future can make up for the fact that no roads lead back to what came before - to the innocence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/not-even-the-brightest-future-can-make-up-for-the-fact-that-no-roads/) [Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/) ## More by Anthony de Mello > [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You only change what you understand. What you do not understand and are not aware of, you repress. You dont change. But when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-only-change-what-you-understand-what-you-do-not-understand-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-arabs-say-the-nature-of-rain-is-the-same-but-it-makes-thorns/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Sinners often speak the truth. And saints have led people astray. Examine what is said, not the one who says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/sinners-often-speak-the-truth-and-saints-have-led-people-astray/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?" "Of course there is," said the Master. "How would you describe it?" "Liberation from the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/isn-t-there-such-a-thing-as-social-liberation-of-course-there-is-said/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-important-thing-is-not-to-know-who-i-is-or-what-i-is-you-ll-never/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [And increasingly - you know this and so do I we're losing the youth everywhere. They hate us; they are not interested in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-increasingly-you-know-this-and-so-do-i-we-re-losing-the-youth/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality practiced in the state of activity is incomparably superior to that practiced in a state of withdrawel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/spirituality-practiced-in-the-state-of-activity-is-incomparably/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-know-all-mystics-catholic-christian-non-christian-no-matter-what/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [There were rules in the monastery, but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. 'Obedience keeps the rules,' he would say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-were-rules-in-the-monastery-but-the-master-always-warned/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A disciple, in his reverence for the Master, looked upon him as God incarnate. "Tell me, O Master," he said, "why you have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-disciple-in-his-reverence-for-the-master-looked-upon-him-as-god/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“And how about you? Do you want to understand and play the game of life or fool around with miracles?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-how-about-you-do-you-want-to-understand-and-play-the-game-of-life/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Rare indeed, is the relationship in which the other is not cultivated for what one can get for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/rare-indeed-is-the-relationship-in-which-the-other-is-not-cultivated/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) [Explore all 253 Anthony de Mello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## More Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is another more subtle way in which the innocence of childhood is lost: when the child is infected with the desire to become somebody. 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