--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thought breeds thought; children familiar…" description: "\"Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing;..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/charlotte-mason-9985_bears_thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar_1989897.jpg" --- # Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great… ![“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education.” quote by Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/charlotte-mason-9985_bears_thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar_1989897.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/charlotte-mason-9985_bears_thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar_1989897.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/charlotte-mason-9985_bears_thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar_1989897.jpg) > “Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education.” [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should nurture holistic growth—physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual—just as the body naturally grows. **In simple terms:** Learning is holistic growth. Key Takeaway Foster balanced development. Themes education holistic growth intellectual development morality Mood inspirational practical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - school curricula - parental guidance - personal development plans Key Concepts Holism growth mindset self-directed learning Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate moral education? - What practices support spiritual growth? A Different Perspective Balancing all aspects can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Let them get at the books themselves, and do not let them be flooded with diluted talk from the lips of their teacher. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/let-them-get-at-the-books-themselves-and-do-not-let-them-be-flooded/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Thoughts naturally arise. The point of meditation is not to banish thoughts but to make peace with them by realizing their lack of substance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/thoughts-naturally-arise-the-point-of-meditation-is-not-to-banish/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [He with positive thoughts was naturally born to think negatively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tivea/he-with-positive-thoughts-was-naturally-born-to-think-negatively/) [Tivea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tivea/) > [The human race is guided by its own ideas, and only by its ideas. If thought were left perfectly free from ban of legislative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-battelle-dietrick/the-human-race-is-guided-by-its-own-ideas-and-only-by-its-ideas-if/) [Ellen Battelle Dietrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-battelle-dietrick/) > [“Oh, fine, Eleanor thought. The children of hell shan’t go hungry on my watch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/oh-fine-eleanor-thought-the-children-of-hell-shan-t-go-hungry-on-my/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [There is something inexpressibly sad in the thought of the children who crossed the ocean with the Pilgrims and the fathers of Jamestown, New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-morse-earle/there-is-something-inexpressibly-sad-in-the-thought-of-the-children/) [Alice Morse Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-morse-earle/) > [I wonder how the foreign policies of the United States would look if we wiped out the national boundaries of the world, at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-wonder-how-the-foreign-policies-of-the-united-states-would-look-if/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Before I had my first child, I never really looked forward in anticipation to the future. As I watched my son grow and learn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hart/before-i-had-my-first-child-i-never-really-looked-forward-in/) [Louise Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hart/) > [“It was interesting. Isabelle thought, the children that chose you. Some come through your body; others came in cars in the middle of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-bauermeister/it-was-interesting-isabelle-thought-the-children-that-chose-you-some/) [Erica Bauermeister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-bauermeister/) > [During the Gulf War, I remember two little third grade girls saying to me - after I read them some poems by writers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/during-the-gulf-war-i-remember-two-little-third-grade-girls-saying-to/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [The thought of my children growing up in an America with less freedom, less opportunity, and a lower standard of living is a long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-hensarling/the-thought-of-my-children-growing-up-in-an-america-with-less-freedom/) [Jeb Hensarling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-hensarling/) > [I didn't trust adults because I thought they were all kind of corrupted. I thought children were pure and innocent, and that was inherently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-didn-t-trust-adults-because-i-thought-they-were-all-kind-of/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [“Do you want children?” His eyes slid to me as he grabbed a menu. He answered cautiously, “Yeah.” “How many?” He turned to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/do-you-want-children-his-eyes-slid-to-me-as-he-grabbed-a-menu-he/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“What a world this is, he thought. Children put us to shame with their pluck, and are shot in the back for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/what-a-world-this-is-he-thought-children-put-us-to-shame-with-their/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Plants are as responsive to thought as children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-burbank/plants-are-as-responsive-to-thought-as-children/) [Luther Burbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-burbank/) ## More by Charlotte Mason > [Every common miracle which the child sees with his own eyes makes of him for the moment another Newton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/every-common-miracle-which-the-child-sees-with-his-own-eyes-makes-of/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Wise and purposeful letting alone is the best part of education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/wise-and-purposeful-letting-alone-is-the-best-part-of-education/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [We talk of lost ideals, but perhaps they are not lost, only changed; when our ideal for ourselves and for our children becomes limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/we-talk-of-lost-ideals-but-perhaps-they-are-not-lost-only-changed/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Life should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/our-aim-in-education-is-to-give-a-full-life-we-owe-it-to-them-to/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [“If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when these are overdone, we should have happier households. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/if-mothers-could-learn-to-do-for-themselves-what-they-do-for-their/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Let the parent ask "Why?" and the child produce the answer, if he can. After he has turned the matter over in his mind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/let-the-parent-ask-why-and-the-child-produce-the-answer-if-he-can/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [There is no education but self-education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/there-is-no-education-but-self-education/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [I think we owe it to children to let them dig their knowledge, of whatever subject, for themselves out of the "fit" book; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/i-think-we-owe-it-to-children-to-let-them-dig-their-knowledge-of/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Education is a life; that life is sustained on ideas; ideas are of spiritual origin, and that we get them chiefly as we convey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/education-is-a-life-that-life-is-sustained-on-ideas-ideas-are-of/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Children should Transcribe favourite Passages. A certain sense of possession and delight may be added to this exercise if children are allowed to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/children-should-transcribe-favourite-passages-a-certain-sense-of/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Do not let the endless succession of small things crowd great ideals out of sight and out of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/do-not-let-the-endless-succession-of-small-things-crowd-great-ideals/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [The children's lessons should provide material for their mental growth, should exercise the several powers of their minds, should furnish them with fruitful ideas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/the-children-s-lessons-should-provide-material-for-their-mental/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [Education is the science of relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/education-is-the-science-of-relations/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [“Having found the book which has a message for us, let us not be guilty of the folly of saying we have read it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/having-found-the-book-which-has-a-message-for-us-let-us-not-be-guilty/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) > [So much for the right books; the right use of them is another matter. The children must enjoy the book. The ideas it holds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/so-much-for-the-right-books-the-right-use-of-them-is-another-matter/) [Charlotte Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) [Explore all 68 Charlotte Mason quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/) ## More Bears quotes > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Television series are like the stock market. There's room for bears and bulls but no room for pigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/television-series-are-like-the-stock-market-there-s-room-for-bears/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [The Germans are the most philosophic people in the world, and the greatest smokers: now I trace their philosophy to their smoking. Smoking has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-borrow/the-germans-are-the-most-philosophic-people-in-the-world-and-the/) [George Henry Borrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-borrow/) > [...Gratitude transforms the torment of memory of good things now gone into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/gratitude-transforms-the-torment-of-memory-of-good-things-now-gone/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [You've had a whole lot of experience, but everything is also radically new at each moment, and you have to bring a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-houston/you-ve-had-a-whole-lot-of-experience-but-everything-is-also-radically/) [Jean Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-houston/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [Pay no heed to the passing religious vogue. Go back to the grass roots. Open your hearts and search the Scriptures. Bear your cross,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/pay-no-heed-to-the-passing-religious-vogue-go-back-to-the-grass-roots/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [And if anyone knows anything about anything," said Bear to himself, "it's Owl who knows something about something," he said, "or my name's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-if-anyone-knows-anything-about-anything-said-bear-to-himself-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm totally independent. I don't bear any responsibility to any system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-m-totally-independent-i-don-t-bear-any-responsibility-to-any-system/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I'm supportive of women, absolutely, and it's so gratifying to have girls come up and say, 'I'm really inspired by your guitar playing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-m-supportive-of-women-absolutely-and-it-s-so-gratifying-to-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) [Browse all 4,111 Bears quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlotte Mason" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar-with-great-thoughts-take-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bears" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar-with-great-thoughts-take-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/charlotte-mason-9985_bears_thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar_1989897.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/charlotte-mason-9985_bears_thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar_1989897.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/charlotte-mason-9985_bears_thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar_1989897.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves…” — Charlotte Mason", "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 Mason", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mason/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Thought breeds thought; children familiar with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar-with-great-thoughts-take-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mason/thought-breeds-thought-children-familiar-with-great-thoughts-take-as/#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 } } ] } ```