---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human beings -- human children especially…"
description: "\"“Human beings -- human children especially -- seldom deny themselves the pleasure of exercising a power which they are conscious of possessing, even th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/charlotte-bronte-144_children_human-beings-human-children-especially-s_2629554.jpg"
---

#  Human beings -- human children especially -- seldom deny…

![“Human beings -- human children especially -- seldom deny themselves the pleasure of exercising a power which they are conscious of possessing, even though that power consist only in a capacity to make others wretched” quote by Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/charlotte-bronte-144_children_human-beings-human-children-especially-s_2629554.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/charlotte-bronte-144_children_human-beings-human-children-especially-s_2629554.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/charlotte-bronte-144_children_human-beings-human-children-especially-s_2629554.jpg)

> ““Human beings -- human children especially -- seldom deny themselves the pleasure of exercising a power which they are conscious of possessing, even though that power consist only in a capacity to make others wretched””

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

## About This Quote

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

People enjoy exercising power over others, even if that power only causes suffering.

**In simple terms:** People like to wield power that harms others.

Key Takeaway

Reflect on the ethics of power use.

Themes

power ethics human nature

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

philosophical inquisitive

When to use this quote

- leadership
- social dynamics
- conflict management

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do people seek power?
- How can we channel power responsibly?

A Different Perspective

Power can also be used for good.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beings Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-human-380012/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Especially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-especially-1891628/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Human Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-children-792936/) [Possessing Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessing-power-572779/)

## Related quotes

> [Government, possessing the power to create and issue currency and credit as money and enjoying the right to withdraw both currency and credit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/government-possessing-the-power-to-create-and-issue-currency-and/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [“One great pleasure of being a writer is possessing the power to determine the fate of my characters and how the story will end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-a-o-neal/one-great-pleasure-of-being-a-writer-is-possessing-the-power-to/)

[Terry a O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-a-o-neal/)

> [Self-confidenc e, poise, consciousness of possessing the power to accomplish our desires, with renewed lively interest in life are the natural results of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pilates/self-confidenc-e-poise-consciousness-of-possessing-the-power-to/)

[Joseph Pilates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pilates/)

> [“He cannot,” says he, “hold sway over the servants of God, who with all their heart place their hopes in Him. The devil can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/he-cannot-says-he-hold-sway-over-the-servants-of-god-who-with-all/)

[The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-church-fathers/)

> [How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/how-many-years-has-it-taken-people-to-realize-that-we-are-all/)

[Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/)

> [Unlike most other children, - especially unlike those of to-day - who are eager to become men and women as speedily as possible, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-loti/unlike-most-other-children-especially-unlike-those-of-to-day-who-are/)

[Pierre Loti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-loti/)

> [I Love children, especially when they cry for then someone takes them away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mitford/i-love-children-especially-when-they-cry-for-then-someone-takes-them/)

[Nancy Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mitford/)

> [Children especially deserve our support after they are rescued from those who have victimized them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-stefanik/children-especially-deserve-our-support-after-they-are-rescued-from/)

[Elise Stefanik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-stefanik/)

> [Love children especially, for they too are sinless like the angels; they live to soften and purify our hearts and, as it were, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-children-especially-for-they-too-are-sinless-like-the-angels/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“Young children especially need the visual reinforcement of seeing you turn to Scripture for wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-durbin/young-children-especially-need-the-visual-reinforcement-of-seeing-you/)

[Kara Durbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-durbin/)

> [Young children especially are receiving so much of the world through their ears and their eyes, particularly if they're pre-literate. So engaging them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-walton-hamilton/young-children-especially-are-receiving-so-much-of-the-world-through/)

[Emma Walton Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-walton-hamilton/)

> [I loved the Sunday funnies, and then, as I got a little bit older, I think my dad recognized that it was important for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/i-loved-the-sunday-funnies-and-then-as-i-got-a-little-bit-older-i/)

[Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/)

> [One of the easiest things in the world to do is to tell other people how to raise their children. This is especially easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-stacy-mccain/one-of-the-easiest-things-in-the-world-to-do-is-to-tell-other-people/)

[Robert Stacy McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-stacy-mccain/)

> [There's no question that we have great value on the sanctity of the family, and there are a lot of competing visions about exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/there-s-no-question-that-we-have-great-value-on-the-sanctity-of-the/)

[James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/)

> [You cannot be a famous human being to your children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-baggio/you-cannot-be-a-famous-human-being-to-your-children/)

[Roberto Baggio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-baggio/)

## More by Charlotte Brontë

> [When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should - so hard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/when-we-are-struck-at-without-a-reason-we-should-strike-back-again/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [“A deal of people, Miss, are for trusting all to Providence; but I say Providence will not dispense with the means, though He often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/a-deal-of-people-miss-are-for-trusting-all-to-providence-but-i-say/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [“This night is not calm; the equinox still struggles in its storms. The wild rains of the day are abated; the great single cloud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/this-night-is-not-calm-the-equinox-still-struggles-in-its-storms-the/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [“How dare I, Mrs Reed? How dare I? Because it is the truth. You think I have no feelings, and that I can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/how-dare-i-mrs-reed-how-dare-i-because-it-is-the-truth-you-think-i/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [Poverty, for me, is synonymous with degradation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/poverty-for-me-is-synonymous-with-degradation/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [When his first-born was put into his arms, he could see that the boy had inherited his own eyes, as they once were -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/when-his-first-born-was-put-into-his-arms-he-could-see-that-the-boy/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [Talented people almost always know full well the excellence that is in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/talented-people-almost-always-know-full-well-the-excellence-that-is/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [“Not one spark of spirit, not one symptom of resistance, would they have shown till the hand of the Corsican bandit had grasped that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/not-one-spark-of-spirit-not-one-symptom-of-resistance-would-they-have/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [“Love can excuse anything except meanness; but meanness kills love, cripples even natural affection; without esteem true love cannot exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/love-can-excuse-anything-except-meanness-but-meanness-kills-love/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [I think you will learn to be natural with me, as I find it impossible to be conventional with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-think-you-will-learn-to-be-natural-with-me-as-i-find-it-impossible/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

> [“You are no ruin sir--no lighting-struck tree: you are green and vigorous. Plants will grow about your roots, whether you ask them or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/you-are-no-ruin-sir-no-lighting-struck-tree-you-are-green-and/)

[Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

[Explore all 1,082 Charlotte Brontë quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

## 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": "“Human beings -- human children especially -- seldom deny themselves the pleasure of exercising a power which they are conscious of possessing, even though that power consist only in a capacity to make others wretched”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charlotte Brontë"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/human-beings-human-children-especially-seldom-deny-themselves-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/human-beings-human-children-especially-seldom-deny-themselves-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/charlotte-bronte-144_children_human-beings-human-children-especially-s_2629554.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/charlotte-bronte-144_children_human-beings-human-children-especially-s_2629554.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/charlotte-bronte-144_children_human-beings-human-children-especially-s_2629554.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Human beings -- human children especially -- seldom deny themselves the pleasure of exercising a power which…” — Charlotte Brontë",
                "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": "Charlotte Brontë",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Human beings -- human children especially...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/human-beings-human-children-especially-seldom-deny-themselves-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/human-beings-human-children-especially-seldom-deny-themselves-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
