--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A clever child brought up with a foolish…" description: "\"A clever child brought up with a foolish one can itself become foolish. Man is so perfectible and corruptible he can become a fool through good sense.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/441/georg-c-lichtenberg-1087_children_a-clever-child-brought-up-with-a-foolish_336899.jpg" --- # A clever child brought up with a foolish one can itself… ![“A clever child brought up with a foolish one can itself become foolish. Man is so perfectible and corruptible he can become a fool through good sense.” quote by Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/441/georg-c-lichtenberg-1087_children_a-clever-child-brought-up-with-a-foolish_336899.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/441/georg-c-lichtenberg-1087_children_a-clever-child-brought-up-with-a-foolish_336899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/441/georg-c-lichtenberg-1087_children_a-clever-child-brought-up-with-a-foolish_336899.jpg) > “A clever child brought up with a foolish one can itself become foolish. Man is so perfectible and corruptible he can become a fool through good sense.” [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bad influences can corrupt even the wise; good sense may still lead to folly. **In simple terms:** Even wise can become foolish. Key Takeaway Guard against corrupting influences. Themes corruption human nature wisdom folly Mood cautionary reflective philosophical Type aphorism ethical wisdom When to use this quote - education - leadership - policy making Key Concepts ethical decay social influence critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect your judgment? - What role does environment play in wisdom? A Different Perspective Good sense alone may not prevent error. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Foolish man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-man/) [Fools and foolishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fools-and-foolishness/) [Good sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-sense/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [Man is so perfectable and corruptible he can become a fool through good sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/man-is-so-perfectable-and-corruptible-he-can-become-a-fool-through/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [Fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/fools-and-fanatics-are-always-so-certain-of-themselves/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The follies of the wise man are known to himself, but hidden from the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-follies-of-the-wise-man-are-known-to-himself-but-hidden-from-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I was quite a clever child, I don't know what happened later on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-brown/i-was-quite-a-clever-child-i-don-t-know-what-happened-later-on/) [June Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-brown/) > [In the career of a prodigy there invariably comes a time when it is compelled to relinquish being very clever for a child, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-franklin/in-the-career-of-a-prodigy-there-invariably-comes-a-time-when-it-is/) [Miles Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-franklin/) > [“If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/if-fifty-million-people-say-a-foolish-thing-it-is-still-a-foolish/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [A truly good man is unaware of his goodness and is there for good, A foolish man tries to be good and is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tsu/a-truly-good-man-is-unaware-of-his-goodness-and-is-there-for-good-a/) [Lao Tsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tsu/) > [Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and sometimes renders the most foolish man clever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-renders-the-most-clever-man-a-fool-and-sometimes/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [I believe that that foolish man of Galilee, Jesus Christ, had something to tell us, to tell me. Not considering his existence here, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-chacour/i-believe-that-that-foolish-man-of-galilee-jesus-christ-had-something/) Elias Chacour > [A foolish man thinks he knows everything. A wise man knows he doesn't," Finn replied absently, still looking down at the book. 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You see that yawning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/foolish-man-what-do-you-bemoan-and-what-do-you-fear-wherever-you-look/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A foolish man... built his house upon the sand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/a-foolish-man-built-his-house-upon-the-sand/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) ## More by Georg C. Lichtenberg > [If people should ever start to do only what is necessary millions would die of hunger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/if-people-should-ever-start-to-do-only-what-is-necessary-millions/) [Georg C. 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