--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We only have babies when we're young…" description: "\"We only have babies when we're young enough not to know how grim life turns out. Once we really get the full measure of it--we're slow learners, we wom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/gregory-maguire-547_babies_we-only-have-babies-when-we-re-young-eno_2853715.png" --- # We only have babies when we're young enough not to know… ![“We only have babies when we're young enough not to know how grim life turns out. Once we really get the full measure of it--we're slow learners, we women--we dry up in disgust and sensibly halt production.” quote by Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/gregory-maguire-547_babies_we-only-have-babies-when-we-re-young-eno_2853715.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/gregory-maguire-547_babies_we-only-have-babies-when-we-re-young-eno_2853715.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/gregory-maguire-547_babies_we-only-have-babies-when-we-re-young-eno_2853715.png) > “We only have babies when we're young enough not to know how grim life turns out. Once we really get the full measure of it--we're slow learners, we women--we dry up in disgust and sensibly halt production.” [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Youthful ignorance leads to delayed realization of life's harshness. **In simple terms:** Kids don't see life's cruelty. Key Takeaway Value early awareness. Themes growth disillusionment feminism Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - parenting - education - career planning - health awareness Key Concepts Literature psychology Questions to Reflect On - When did you first feel disillusioned? - How can we balance hope? A Different Perspective Early awareness can cause premature cynicism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Babies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies/) [Babies Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies-young-2020449/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Disgust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgust/) [Disgusting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgusting/) [Dry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dry/) [Dry Disgust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dry-disgust-3812613/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Grim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grim/) [Halt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/halt/) [Learners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learners/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Women Dry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-dry-3812612/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [We only have babies when we're young enough not to know how grim life turns out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/we-only-have-babies-when-we-re-young-enough-not-to-know-how-grim-life/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [The Water Babies "Young and Old" When all the world is young, lad, And all the trees are green; And every goose a swan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/the-water-babies-young-and-old-when-all-the-world-is-young-lad-and/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [When the babies were very young, I found it difficult to write. 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"If not for your parents or your grandmother, then for me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/do-good-though-will-you-she-blinked-brightly-at-the-green-girl-if-not/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You always had an eye for the fellow with a decent helping of sausage and hard-boiled eggs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-always-had-an-eye-for-the-fellow-with-a-decent-helping-of-sausage/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You need my help? What for? Bread, cash, a fake identity to help you slip sideways through the cracks? 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