Children Quote by Bandy X Lee
““Freud focused on the puzzling development of conscience. He reasoned that the child begins life with a sense that all are present to serve him. A youngster eventually recognizes that others exist but not initially that they are complex beings with their own thoughts and relationships. Freud discovered that the child’s life changes dramatically when he realizes that others are subjects, just as he is: subjects in their own right (Covitz 2016). Until that time, the child understands others more or less only in their capacities to satisfy his needs: as either good or bad, as satisfying his demands or not. When the child accepts the complexity of family relationships and is able to understand that Mom and Dad have an independent relationship, he has begun to embrace them as subjects (i.e., as doers) with their own thoughts, feelings, and relationships. He has, Freud would say, developed a conscience (an uber-Ich, or a “Guiding I”). Those who fail to accept others as subjects in their own right comprise the personality-disordered subgroup of humanity.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Developmental Psychology, Freud, 2016
Understanding others as independent subjects marks the shift from self‑centered perception to a mature conscience.
In simple terms: Seeing others as people, not just tools.
Key Takeaway
Recognize others' autonomy.
Themes
psychology
development
conscience
empathy
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
theoretical
insightful
When to use this quote
- parent‑child relationships
- education
- therapy
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
subjectivity
theory of mind
moral development
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you treat others' autonomy?
- What barriers prevent seeing others as subjects?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex social dynamics.
