--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course the children had exchanged…" description: "\"“Of course the children had exchanged labels with one another the second her back was turned. They were only human, even if they hadn’t yet made the ef..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/chris-cleave-1698_children_of-course-the-children-had-exchanged-lab_1416024.png" --- # Of course the children had exchanged labels with one… ![“Of course the children had exchanged labels with one another the second her back was turned. They were only human, even if they hadn’t yet made the effort to become tall.” quote by Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/chris-cleave-1698_children_of-course-the-children-had-exchanged-lab_1416024.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/chris-cleave-1698_children_of-course-the-children-had-exchanged-lab_1416024.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/chris-cleave-1698_children_of-course-the-children-had-exchanged-lab_1416024.png) > ““Of course the children had exchanged labels with one another the second her back was turned. They were only human, even if they hadn’t yet made the effort to become tall.”” [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children mimic adult behavior, labeling each other even when adults aren't watching, revealing innate tendencies toward categorization and hierarchy. **In simple terms:** Kids label each other instinctively. Key Takeaway Be aware of early social labeling. Themes childhood social behavior identity hierarchy Mood thoughtful empathetic Type literary social commentary When to use this quote - education - parenting - community building Key Concepts psychology developmental sociology social learning Questions to Reflect On - How does early labeling affect self‑esteem? - What can adults do to model inclusive behavior? A Different Perspective Early labeling can reinforce stereotypes later in life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Exchanged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-exchanged-5003175/) [Course Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/course-children-1977985/) [Exchanged Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchanged-labels-5003176/) [Human Hadn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-hadn-3058751/) [Turned Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-human-5003177/) ## Related quotes > [I turned to human suffering because - this may sound odd - animal suffering is more difficult for me to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberto-gonzalez/i-turned-to-human-suffering-because-this-may-sound-odd-animal/) [Rigoberto Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberto-gonzalez/) > [ All these children \[who did not have music and art classes at school\] go out into the world without knowing that there is anything… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/all-these-children-who-did-not-have-music-and-art-classes-at-school/) [Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/) > [God takes a safe course with His children, that they may not be condemned with the world, He permits the world to condemn them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sibbes/god-takes-a-safe-course-with-his-children-that-they-may-not-be/) [Richard Sibbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sibbes/) > [I'd be worried about myself as a human if I hadn't been nervous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-williams/i-d-be-worried-about-myself-as-a-human-if-i-hadn-t-been-nervous/) [Allison Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-williams/) > [“He is human. 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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/) > [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/) > [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 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/) ## More by Chris Cleave > [It was hard not to be full of hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/it-was-hard-not-to-be-full-of-hope/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [This is the forked tongue of grief again. 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Just as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-think-the-recent-cluster-of-wwii-novels-is-so-good-because-we-have/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [“Yu only be livin one life, darlin. 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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. 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