--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The children are innocent until proven…" description: "\"“The children are innocent until proven guilty. For their sake, not ours, we must soldier on, muddling our way toward frugality, simplicity, liberty, c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/edward-abbey-254_ability-to-love_the-children-are-innocent-until-proven-g_2604404.png" --- # The children are innocent until proven guilty. For their… ![“The children are innocent until proven guilty. For their sake, not ours, we must soldier on, muddling our way toward frugality, simplicity, liberty, community, until some kind of sane and rational balance is achieved between our ability to love and our cockeyed ambition to conquer and dominate…” quote by Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/edward-abbey-254_ability-to-love_the-children-are-innocent-until-proven-g_2604404.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/edward-abbey-254_ability-to-love_the-children-are-innocent-until-proven-g_2604404.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/edward-abbey-254_ability-to-love_the-children-are-innocent-until-proven-g_2604404.png) > ““The children are innocent until proven guilty. For their sake, not ours, we must soldier on, muddling our way toward frugality, simplicity, liberty, community, until some kind of sane and rational balance is achieved between our ability to love and our cockeyed ambition to conquer and dominate everything in sight. No wonder the galaxies recede from us in every direction, fleeing at velocities that approach the speed of light. They are frightened. We humans are the Terror of the Universe.”” [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human ambition threatens nature; humility and simplicity are needed to balance love and destructive desire. **In simple terms:** Humans must balance love with ambition to protect nature. Key Takeaway Seek humility and simplicity. Themes environment humility balance Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical environmental When to use this quote - conservation projects - community gardens - minimalist living - educational workshops Key Concepts anthropocentrism existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What personal ambitions conflict with ecological stewardship? - How can societies foster simple, sustainable values? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑rooted ambition is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-to-love/) [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Speed of light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed-of-light/) ## Related quotes > [“It's just that I take riddling seriously. I was taught that the ability to solve them indicates a sane and rational mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-s-just-that-i-take-riddling-seriously-i-was-taught-that-the/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The Enlightenment view of mankind is a complete myth. It leads us into thinking we're sane and rational creatures most of the time, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/the-enlightenment-view-of-mankind-is-a-complete-myth-it-leads-us-into/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [The government ought to be in the business of delivering health, education, housing, and basic services to people without a lot of game playing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-dellums/the-government-ought-to-be-in-the-business-of-delivering-health/) [Ron Dellums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-dellums/) > [For children are innocent and love justice, while most of us are wicked and naturally prefer mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-children-are-innocent-and-love-justice-while-most-of-us-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Children are not only innocent and curious but also optimistic and joyful and essentially happy. They are, in short, everything adults wish they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-haywood/children-are-not-only-innocent-and-curious-but-also-optimistic-and/) Carolyn Haywood > [To the children and the innocent it's all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/to-the-children-and-the-innocent-it-s-all-the-same/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/thank-you-to-the-children-whose-innocent-words-encouraged-me/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [And I don't believe that children are innocent. In fact, no one seriously believes that. Just go to a playground and watch the kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/and-i-don-t-believe-that-children-are-innocent-in-fact-no-one/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [“There is a misconception that children are innocent of sin, but this is not true. They can be wicked, violent, corrupt, and have evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/there-is-a-misconception-that-children-are-innocent-of-sin-but-this/) [Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/) > [“Children have such an innocent view of their world and surroundings; every thought is a garden full of wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-heck/children-have-such-an-innocent-view-of-their-world-and-surroundings/) [C.J. Heck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-heck/) > [In America, children are innocent until proven marketable-to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-america-children-are-innocent-until-proven-marketable-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is the pain-pleasure of having newly adult children; they're innocent and ruthless in forgetting their sweet old dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/this-is-the-pain-pleasure-of-having-newly-adult-children-they-re/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Children are the only innocent people in this world, they are the victims of our actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-el-hallab/children-are-the-only-innocent-people-in-this-world-they-are-the/) [Mahmoud El Hallab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-el-hallab/) > [Though men now possess the power to dominate and exploit every corner of the natural world, nothing in that fact implies that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/though-men-now-possess-the-power-to-dominate-and-exploit-every-corner/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [I do not care if they are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, white, yellow, brown or black people! Children are children, and children are innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattias-konradsson/i-do-not-care-if-they-are-christians-muslims-jews-hindus-white-yellow/) [Mattias Konradsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattias-konradsson/) ## More by Edward Abbey > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Apuleius married a rich widow, then wrote \_The Golden Ass\_.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/apuleius-married-a-rich-widow-then-wrote-the-golden-ass/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Except for the scale of the operation, there was nothing unusual about Hitler's massacre of the Jews. Genocide's an old tradition, as human as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/except-for-the-scale-of-the-operation-there-was-nothing-unusual-about/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [By the age of eighteen, a human has acquired enough joy and heartache to provide the food of reflection for a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/by-the-age-of-eighteen-a-human-has-acquired-enough-joy-and-heartache/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Our institutions are too big; they represent not the best but the worst characteristics of human beings. 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Why this cult of wilderness? Why the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/but-why-the-questioner-insists-why-do-people-like-you-pretend-to-love/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Civilization is a youth with a molotov cocktail in his hand. Culture is the Soviet tank or L.A. cop that guns him down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/civilization-is-a-youth-with-a-molotov-cocktail-in-his-hand-culture/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [All revolutions have failed? Perhaps. But rebellion for good cause is self- justifying -- a good in itself. Rebellion transforms slaves into human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/all-revolutions-have-failed-perhaps-but-rebellion-for-good-cause-is/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Me, I'm living under a sword too, as Jack may have told you. 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Part Two: Say it well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/what-is-the-essence-of-the-art-of-writing-part-one-have-something-to/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) [Explore all 807 Edward Abbey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) ## More Ability to love quotes > [“It is hardly necessary to stress the fact that the ability to love as an act of giving depends on the character development of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/it-is-hardly-necessary-to-stress-the-fact-that-the-ability-to-love-as/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [In this universe we are given two gifts: the ability to love and the ability to question. 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