---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Think how much happier the world might be…"
description: "\"“Think how much happier the world might be if people sought approval for what they do from their children instead of their ancestors.”\" — Brian Ruckley"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/brian-ruckley-42433_children_think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-b_2001534.jpg"
---

#  Think how much happier the world might be if people sought…

![“Think how much happier the world might be if people sought approval for what they do from their children instead of their ancestors.” quote by Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/brian-ruckley-42433_children_think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-b_2001534.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/brian-ruckley-42433_children_think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-b_2001534.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/brian-ruckley-42433_children_think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-b_2001534.jpg)

> ““Think how much happier the world might be if people sought approval for what they do from their children instead of their ancestors.””

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

## About This Quote

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

Prioritizing approval from children over ancestors could create a more compassionate, future‑focused society.

**In simple terms:** Seek kids’ approval, not ancestors’.

Key Takeaway

Value the next generation’s view.

Themes

family legacy values

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- parenting
- education
- community building
- policy making

Key Concepts

intergenerational respect psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How would shifting approval sources change personal decisions?
- What challenges arise when honoring both past and future?

A Different Perspective

May clash with cultural traditions that honor ancestors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Approval Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval-children-3523833/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-instead-871960/) [Happier World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happier-world-1571061/) [Instead Ancestors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead-ancestors-3523832/) [Think Happier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-happier-501154/)

## Related quotes

> [Many parents make the mistake of giving love and approval to their children only when their children do something that they want them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/many-parents-make-the-mistake-of-giving-love-and-approval-to-their/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [“Smile! Smile upon someone else; you are building a happier world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anyaele-sam-chiyson/smile-smile-upon-someone-else-you-are-building-a-happier-world/)

[Anyaele Sam Chiyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anyaele-sam-chiyson/)

> [When people tend to be happier they have more interest in the world around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/when-people-tend-to-be-happier-they-have-more-interest-in-the-world/)

[David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/)

> [You need eight hugs a day. You'll be happier and the world will be a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-need-eight-hugs-a-day-you-ll-be-happier-and-the-world-will-be-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Since periods of great change, such as the present one, come so rarely in human history, it is up to each of us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/since-periods-of-great-change-such-as-the-present-one-come-so-rarely/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [“Children, from what I had seen, were too often the fruit of men’s evil to women. And too often, instead of hating the men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lake-union-publishing/children-from-what-i-had-seen-were-too-often-the-fruit-of-men-s-evil/)

[Lake Union Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lake-union-publishing/)

> [It's time that we recognize the Supreme Court is not the supreme being, and we change the policy to be pro-life and protect children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/it-s-time-that-we-recognize-the-supreme-court-is-not-the-supreme/)

[Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/)

> [If politicians were serious about day care for children, instead of just sloganizing about it, nothing they could do would improve the quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-politicians-were-serious-about-day-care-for-children-instead-of/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [“If children instead of adults would have contolled the world, then the world would have become a better place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/if-children-instead-of-adults-would-have-contolled-the-world-then-the/)

[Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abrar-ahmed-chowdhury/)

> [“What might the potential for humans be if we really encouraged that spirit of questioning in children, instead of closing it down? I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-berger/what-might-the-potential-for-humans-be-if-we-really-encouraged-that/)

[Warren Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-berger/)

> [I discovered when I had a child of my own that I had become a biased observer of small children. Instead of looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/i-discovered-when-i-had-a-child-of-my-own-that-i-had-become-a-biased/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [“I saw a bunch of kids who needed love and acceptance and to be allowed to live as normal children, instead of having to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-e-abbott/i-saw-a-bunch-of-kids-who-needed-love-and-acceptance-and-to-be/)

[Dwight E. Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-e-abbott/)

> [JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU CANT BE HAPPIER , LIFE COMES ALONG AND MAKES YOU HAPPIER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-paul-rose/just-when-you-think-you-cant-be-happier-life-comes-along-and-makes/)

[LEONARD PAUL ROSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-paul-rose/)

> [If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy; but we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-only-wanted-to-be-happy-it-would-be-easy-but-we-want-to-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Once you get to that point when you can just be yourself and relax, I just think that you're so much happier in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-emerson/once-you-get-to-that-point-when-you-can-just-be-yourself-and-relax-i/)

[Jacqueline Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-emerson/)

## More by Brian Ruckley

> [“I think now, looking back, that we all die, little by little, as each of those we love departs before us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/i-think-now-looking-back-that-we-all-die-little-by-little-as-each-of/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [“If a man feared defeat, he would never give battle... Every victory is inevitably succeeded by defeat. It is the nature of our lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/if-a-man-feared-defeat-he-would-never-give-battle-every-victory-is/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [“Power loves not the light of day, nor the attention of curious eyes. In darkness it thrives most...A lord may send his army hither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/power-loves-not-the-light-of-day-nor-the-attention-of-curious-eyes-in/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [“When a man may whisper in a close ear, and that whisper be repeated far away and many moons later, then he has power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/when-a-man-may-whisper-in-a-close-ear-and-that-whisper-be-repeated/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [Loss alone is but the wounding of a heart; it is memory that makes it our ruin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/loss-alone-is-but-the-wounding-of-a-heart-it-is-memory-that-makes-it/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [“unwise to dance with wishes unless you’ve the mettle for it. Wishing for what is not is a fast way to poison your heart.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/unwise-to-dance-with-wishes-unless-you-ve-the-mettle-for-it-wishing/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [“Power loves not the light of day, nor the attention of curious eyes. In darkness it thrives most. Examined too closely, it wither.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/power-loves-not-the-light-of-day-nor-the-attention-of-curious-eyes-in-2/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [“For you, and and all the other readers who have followed the story to its conclusion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/for-you-and-and-all-the-other-readers-who-have-followed-the-story-to/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

> [“There's more things in the world that are old and deep than these men of philosophy and science we're infested with these days can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/there-s-more-things-in-the-world-that-are-old-and-deep-than-these-men/)

[Brian Ruckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

[Explore all 10 Brian Ruckley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Think how much happier the world might be if people sought approval for what they do from their children instead of their ancestors.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Brian Ruckley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-be-if-people-sought-approval/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-be-if-people-sought-approval/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/brian-ruckley-42433_children_think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-b_2001534.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/brian-ruckley-42433_children_think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-b_2001534.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/brian-ruckley-42433_children_think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-b_2001534.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Think how much happier the world might be if people sought approval for what they do from their children…” — Brian Ruckley",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Brian Ruckley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ruckley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Think how much happier the world...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-be-if-people-sought-approval/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ruckley/think-how-much-happier-the-world-might-be-if-people-sought-approval/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
