--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When he was a lad, if you ran out into…" description: "\"“When he was a lad, if you ran out into traffic, you learnt a valuable lesson – or else you became a valuable lesson for all the other kids on the stre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/caimh-mcdonnell-49805_natural-selection_when-he-was-a-lad-if-you-ran-out-into-tr_795988.jpg" --- # When he was a lad, if you ran out into traffic, you learnt… ![“When he was a lad, if you ran out into traffic, you learnt a valuable lesson – or else you became a valuable lesson for all the other kids on the street. It was natural selection in action.” quote by Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/caimh-mcdonnell-49805_natural-selection_when-he-was-a-lad-if-you-ran-out-into-tr_795988.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/caimh-mcdonnell-49805_natural-selection_when-he-was-a-lad-if-you-ran-out-into-tr_795988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/caimh-mcdonnell-49805_natural-selection_when-he-was-a-lad-if-you-ran-out-into-tr_795988.jpg) > ““When he was a lad, if you ran out into traffic, you learnt a valuable lesson – or else you became a valuable lesson for all the other kids on the street. It was natural selection in action.”” [Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children learn safety by experiencing consequences; those who ignore danger become warnings for others. **In simple terms:** Kids learn safety through consequences. Key Takeaway Teach safety early. Themes safety learning consequences Mood cautious reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - playground - traffic - parenting - school safety Key Concepts natural selection social learning Questions to Reflect On - How can we teach safety without fear? - What role does peer example play? A Different Perspective May glorify risk‑taking if not balanced with guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Natural selection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-selection/) ## Related quotes > [If the the day; now safely over, is the one you were so worried about yesterday, you've learnt a valuable lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-the-day-now-safely-over-is-the-one-you-were-so-worried-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I learnt another valuable lesson that night: listen to the quiet voice inside. Intuition is the noise of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/i-learnt-another-valuable-lesson-that-night-listen-to-the-quiet-voice/) [Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/) > [“Risks can lead to great victories or defeats. Even if you are defeated, the lesson will be valuable for the next stage of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-giftyakita/risks-can-lead-to-great-victories-or-defeats-even-if-you-are-defeated/) [Lailah GiftyAkita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-giftyakita/) > [I will not lose for even in defeat, theres a valuable lesson learned so it evens up for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-will-not-lose-for-even-in-defeat-theres-a-valuable-lesson-learned/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [The most valuable lesson you can teach your children is that life is about the unfolding of the conscious self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-tsabary/the-most-valuable-lesson-you-can-teach-your-children-is-that-life-is/) [Shefali Tsabary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-tsabary/) > [I spent too many years of my life stressing over and struggling with my sexuality. But it was a valuable lesson. I realised that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/i-spent-too-many-years-of-my-life-stressing-over-and-struggling-with/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [Here is this ability to explore ideas, but with minute changes, and then look at the results. Often you get so excited about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/here-is-this-ability-to-explore-ideas-but-with-minute-changes-and/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [Valuable lesson in life is learnt from experience when one is subjected to various aspect of day to day event.Nothing more is so important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/valuable-lesson-in-life-is-learnt-from-experience-when-one-is/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [The most valuable lesson I've ever learned in my life is that life is about family and friends, not about material things or any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanilla-ice/the-most-valuable-lesson-i-ve-ever-learned-in-my-life-is-that-life-is/) [Vanilla Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanilla-ice/) > [I will not lose, for even in defeat/There's a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/i-will-not-lose-for-even-in-defeat-there-s-a-valuable-lesson-learned/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [He cried that night for all that he had lost, but he would say it taught him a valuable lesson: that holding on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-cried-that-night-for-all-that-he-had-lost-but-he-would-say-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“And the most valuable lesson I’ve learned will forever live in my heart, right beside my husband. Love the one who proves to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lane/and-the-most-valuable-lesson-i-ve-learned-will-forever-live-in-my/) [Nina Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lane/) > [Yes we had made mistakes in the past we made mistakes in the present but those mistakes will show us a valuable lesson for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keidelinne-alvarez/yes-we-had-made-mistakes-in-the-past-we-made-mistakes-in-the-present/) Keidelinne Alvarez > [“No matter the experiences you face in life, the most valuable lesson is your ability to keep love in your heart and to strengthen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-hoggatt/no-matter-the-experiences-you-face-in-life-the-most-valuable-lesson/) [Tasha Hoggatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasha-hoggatt/) > [“valuable lesson from the experience: people with entrenched religious beliefs will always sidestep reason and fall back on toeing the party line, people from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-winters/valuable-lesson-from-the-experience-people-with-entrenched-religious/) Joseph winters ## More by Caimh McDonnell > [“People say life is short, but it's not. It's long, so damn long – ye can't help but make a mess of it. ‘Tis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caimh-mcdonnell/people-say-life-is-short-but-it-s-not-it-s-long-so-damn-long-ye-can-t/) [Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) > [“In the meantime, he was dotting the ‘I’s and crossing the ‘T’s, waiting for the S and the H to show up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caimh-mcdonnell/in-the-meantime-he-was-dotting-the-i-s-and-crossing-the-t-s-waiting/) [Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) > [“Good tip,” said Paul. “Just so I know, where is a good place to get shot?” He’d not yet realised that Dr Sinha was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caimh-mcdonnell/good-tip-said-paul-just-so-i-know-where-is-a-good-place-to-get-shot/) [Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) > [“there was no such thing as small talk when one of you is naked and paying the other one to be there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caimh-mcdonnell/there-was-no-such-thing-as-small-talk-when-one-of-you-is-naked-and/) [Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) > [“Jesus may’ve died for your sins, but his ma was the one who was willing to listen to your excuses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caimh-mcdonnell/jesus-may-ve-died-for-your-sins-but-his-ma-was-the-one-who-was/) [Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) > [“If you want the honest-to-God truth, most people have a lot they want to say and not that much they want to hear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caimh-mcdonnell/if-you-want-the-honest-to-god-truth-most-people-have-a-lot-they-want/) [Caimh McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) [Explore all 7 Caimh McDonnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caimh-mcdonnell/) ## More Natural selection quotes > [“there is every reason to suppose that people living in agrarian societies were subject to intense forces of natural selection. 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Behe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-behe/) > [Zoocentrism is the primary fallacy of human sociobiology, for this view of human behavior rests on the argument that if the actions of "lower"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/zoocentrism-is-the-primary-fallacy-of-human-sociobiology-for-this/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Ultimately, of course, you must decide for yourself whether the subjective psychological effects created by your evolved cognitive biases reflect an objective reality, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-bering/ultimately-of-course-you-must-decide-for-yourself-whether-the/) [Jesse Bering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-bering/) > [It may be said that natural selection is daily and hourly scrutinizing, throughout the world, every variation, even the slightest; rejecting that which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/it-may-be-said-that-natural-selection-is-daily-and-hourly/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“The second irony of evolutionary biology is that this transubstantiation of natural theology into the grand narrative of natural selection has itself taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-lustig/the-second-irony-of-evolutionary-biology-is-that-this/) Abigail Lustig > [“Fears were learned, but they were also inherited. Natural Selection. Run from the lion. Jump away from the tiny, poisonous insects. They exist for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-miranda/fears-were-learned-but-they-were-also-inherited-natural-selection-run/) [Megan Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-miranda/) > [To suppose that the eye could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/to-suppose-that-the-eye-could-have-been-formed-by-natural-selection/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [The Christians who engaged in infamous persecutions and shameful inquisitions were not evil men but misguided men. The churchmen who felt they had an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-christians-who-engaged-in-infamous-persecutions-and-shameful/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“The earliest form of natural selection was simply a selection of stable forms and a rejection of unstable ones. There is no mystery about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-earliest-form-of-natural-selection-was-simply-a-selection-of/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Browse all 456 Natural selection quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-selection/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When he was a lad, if you ran out into traffic, you learnt a valuable lesson – or else you became a valuable lesson for all the other kids on the street. 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