--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I lived in a plenty tough neighborhood…" description: "\"I lived in a plenty tough neighborhood. When somebody called me a 'dirty little Guinea', there was only one thing to do-break his head. When I got olde..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/frank-sinatra-2702_blame_i-lived-in-a-plenty-tough-neighborhood-w_429877.jpg" --- # I lived in a plenty tough neighborhood. When somebody… ![“I lived in a plenty tough neighborhood. When somebody called me a 'dirty little Guinea', there was only one thing to do-break his head. When I got older, I realized that you shouldn't do it that way. I realized that you've got to do it through education. Children are not to blame. It is the…” quote by Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/frank-sinatra-2702_blame_i-lived-in-a-plenty-tough-neighborhood-w_429877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/frank-sinatra-2702_blame_i-lived-in-a-plenty-tough-neighborhood-w_429877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/frank-sinatra-2702_blame_i-lived-in-a-plenty-tough-neighborhood-w_429877.jpg) > “I lived in a plenty tough neighborhood. When somebody called me a 'dirty little Guinea', there was only one thing to do-break his head. When I got older, I realized that you shouldn't do it that way. I realized that you've got to do it through education. Children are not to blame. It is the parents. How can a child know whether his playmate is an Italian, a Jew or Irish, unless the parents have discussed it in the privacy of their homes.” [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early violent retaliation seemed justified, but later education and parental guidance are seen as better solutions to prejudice. **In simple terms:** Violence is not the answer; teach tolerance instead. Key Takeaway Choose education over violence. Themes prejudice violence education parental responsibility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - school programs - community workshops - family discussions - anti‑bullying campaigns Key Concepts social learning moral development conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can schools effectively teach tolerance? - What role should parents play in combating prejudice? A Different Perspective Education alone may not change deep‑seated biases without systemic support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Guinea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guinea/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Italian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/italian/) [Jew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) ## Related quotes > [My parents discussed singing every night over the dinner table; I had a tremendous music education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/my-parents-discussed-singing-every-night-over-the-dinner-table-i-had/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [“We cannot keep on blaming the past leaders about the present circumstances. We need to be mindful that if we do nothing to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/we-cannot-keep-on-blaming-the-past-leaders-about-the-present/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) > [Its Friday the 13th. This simply means that most of my children will blame witchcraft for their regular stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-friday-the-13th-this-simply-means-that-most-of-my-children-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't take too much credit for your children - or too much blame!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/don-t-take-too-much-credit-for-your-children-or-too-much-blame/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [I have great faith in 'ordinary parents.' Who has a child's welfare more at heart than his ordinary parent? It's been my experience that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haim-ginott/i-have-great-faith-in-ordinary-parents-who-has-a-child-s-welfare-more/) [Haim Ginott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haim-ginott/) > [No. You can't do that. We won't let you go to Bollywood... ' This is the standard reaction of small town, middle class parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/no-you-can-t-do-that-we-won-t-let-you-go-to-bollywood-this-is-the/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) > [Taking the child's point of view demands good will, time, and effort on the part of parents. The child is the clear beneficiary. Parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elkind/taking-the-child-s-point-of-view-demands-good-will-time-and-effort-on/) [David Elkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elkind/) > [“Showing participants in a positive light may be the first time some parents have had their child celebrated at all, let alone publicly. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-fenton-lee/showing-participants-in-a-positive-light-may-be-the-first-time-some/) [Amy Fenton Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-fenton-lee/) > [“Parents have a child, and in doing so they bring into the world a monster that kills everything it comes in contact with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/parents-have-a-child-and-in-doing-so-they-bring-into-the-world-a/) [Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/) > [“The role of the parents is not to become the child, but to provide guidance to it, to walk it through the same abyss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamine-pearlheart/the-role-of-the-parents-is-not-to-become-the-child-but-to-provide/) [Lamine Pearlheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamine-pearlheart/) > [As a parent, I understand that on an individual level parents would do anything for their child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/as-a-parent-i-understand-that-on-an-individual-level-parents-would-do/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [The love of parents for their child is measured by the length they will go to compete with the world for the love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-josland/the-love-of-parents-for-their-child-is-measured-by-the-length-they/) Azgraybebly Josland > [I understand how important it is for both parents to be in a child's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-meyer/i-understand-how-important-it-is-for-both-parents-to-be-in-a-child-s/) [Dakota Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-meyer/) > [I don't pretend to any exemption from the general lot of parental delusion-I mean that like most other parents I see my child through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-coleridge/i-don-t-pretend-to-any-exemption-from-the-general-lot-of-parental/) [Sara Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-coleridge/) > [Soon it will be a sin for parents to have a child that carries the heavy burden of genetic disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-edwards/soon-it-will-be-a-sin-for-parents-to-have-a-child-that-carries-the/) [Bob Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-edwards/) ## More by Frank Sinatra > [ \[Answering the phone\] Hello, this is a recording, you've dialed the right number, now hang up and don't do it again. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/answering-the-phone-hello-this-is-a-recording-you-ve-dialed-the-right/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [“Cock your hats, angles are attitudes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/cock-your-hats-angles-are-attitudes/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [There are moments when it's too quiet. Particularly late at night or early in the mornings. That's when you know there's something lacking in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/there-are-moments-when-it-s-too-quiet-particularly-late-at-night-or/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Don't respond to negativity with more negativity. Just put your head down and prove your critics wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/don-t-respond-to-negativity-with-more-negativity-just-put-your-head/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/the-big-lesson-in-life-baby-is-never-be-scared-of-anyone-or-anything/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [With few exceptions, every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in some way by her genius. 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I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/start-spreading-the-news-i-am-leaving-today-i-want-to-be-a-part-of-it/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [You better get busy living, because dying's a pain in the ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/you-better-get-busy-living-because-dying-s-a-pain-in-the-ass/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [You can be the most artistically perfect performer in the world, but an audience is like a broad - if you're indifferent, Endsville.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/you-can-be-the-most-artistically-perfect-performer-in-the-world-but/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [You are the promised kiss of springtime that makes the lonely winter seem long. You are the breathless hush of evening that trembles on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/you-are-the-promised-kiss-of-springtime-that-makes-the-lonely-winter/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [For nobody else, gave me thrill-with all your faults, I love you still. It had to be you, wonderful you, it had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/for-nobody-else-gave-me-thrill-with-all-your-faults-i-love-you-still/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/you-gotta-love-livin-baby-cause-dyin-is-a-pain-in-the-ass/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Oh, I just wish someone would try to hurt you so I could kill them for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/oh-i-just-wish-someone-would-try-to-hurt-you-so-i-could-kill-them-for/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) [Explore all 153 Frank Sinatra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. 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Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. 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