--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But what parent can tell when some…" description: "\"But what parent can tell when some . . . fragmentary gift of knowledge or wisdom will enrich her children's lives? Or how a small seed of information p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/helena-rubinstein-29128_children_but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragm_2490797.jpg" --- # But what parent can tell when some . . . fragmentary gift… ![“But what parent can tell when some . . . fragmentary gift of knowledge or wisdom will enrich her children's lives? Or how a small seed of information passed from one generation to another may generate a new science, a new industry-a seed which neither the giver nor the receiver can truly evaluate…” quote by Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/helena-rubinstein-29128_children_but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragm_2490797.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/helena-rubinstein-29128_children_but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragm_2490797.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/helena-rubinstein-29128_children_but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragm_2490797.jpg) > “But what parent can tell when some . . . fragmentary gift of knowledge or wisdom will enrich her children's lives? Or how a small seed of information passed from one generation to another may generate a new science, a new industry-a seed which neither the giver nor the receiver can truly evaluate at the time.” [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A parent cannot predict which bits of knowledge will later become transformative for their children, but sharing information can spark future breakthroughs. **In simple terms:** Parents can't foresee which lessons will matter, yet sharing can spark future. Key Takeaway Share knowledge generously, even without knowing its future impact. Themes education legacy innovation generational knowledge uncertainty Mood hopeful reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational advice When to use this quote - parenting - teaching - mentoring - career guidance - research Key Concepts knowledge transfer seed metaphor long-term impact Questions to Reflect On - What small piece of advice have you given that could become significant later? - How do you decide what knowledge to pass on? A Different Perspective The future value of shared knowledge is uncertain and may not be evident at the time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“Why shall we talk? We talk to enrich our children’s vocabulary, and to let them use their vocabulary balance so their language grows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/why-shall-we-talk-we-talk-to-enrich-our-children-s-vocabulary-and-to/) [Maryam Abdullah Alnaymi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam-abdullah-alnaymi/) > [“The gift of knowledge is the best ever admirable gift in the world you may offer to someone you really love. The power exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-s-harimann/the-gift-of-knowledge-is-the-best-ever-admirable-gift-in-the-world/) DR. S. HARIMANN > [If you make one gift this year, make it the gift of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-make-one-gift-this-year-make-it-the-gift-of-knowledge/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aroha-janet/if-we-wonder-often-the-gift-of-knowledge-will-come/) [Aroha Janet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aroha-janet/) > [To have peace and love in marriage is a gift which is next to the knowledge of the Gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/to-have-peace-and-love-in-marriage-is-a-gift-which-is-next-to-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The gift of knowledge is the highest gift in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-gift-of-knowledge-is-the-highest-gift-in-the-world/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [ it is through the ghost \[writer\] that the great gift of knowledge which the inarticulate have for the world can be made available. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-janeway/it-is-through-the-ghost-writer-that-the-great-gift-of-knowledge-which/) [Elizabeth Janeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-janeway/) > [To have peace and love in a marriage is a gift that is next to the knowledge of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/to-have-peace-and-love-in-a-marriage-is-a-gift-that-is-next-to-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“The course of our lives can be altered when we receive the gift of knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hachey/the-course-of-our-lives-can-be-altered-when-we-receive-the-gift-of/) Denis Hachey > [“Anyone who has received from God the gift of knowledge and true eloquence has a duty not to remain silent”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-de-france/anyone-who-has-received-from-god-the-gift-of-knowledge-and-true/) [Marie de France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-de-france/) > [The more we know about this universe, the more mysterious it is. The old world that Job knew was marvelous enough, and his description…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-more-we-know-about-this-universe-the-more-mysterious-it-is-the/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [When you write something new about science, other scientists may not like it but they pay attention because it is subject to proof. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/when-you-write-something-new-about-science-other-scientists-may-not/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [The search for the lessons of the new science is still in progress, really in its infancy. In this realm, three is a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-j-wheatley/the-search-for-the-lessons-of-the-new-science-is-still-in-progress/) [Margaret J. Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-j-wheatley/) > [It often happens that the mind of a person who is learning a new science has to pass through all the phases which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislao-cannizzaro/it-often-happens-that-the-mind-of-a-person-who-is-learning-a-new/) Stanislao Cannizzaro > [“Man has to postulate weirdness, before reaching the new science.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/man-has-to-postulate-weirdness-before-reaching-the-new-science/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) ## More by Helena Rubinstein > [Listen! Say less rather than more. If you want to be smart, play stupid!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/listen-say-less-rather-than-more-if-you-want-to-be-smart-play-stupid/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [I fell in love with beauty a long, long time ago, but what I wanted was to create beauty - not to be blinded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/i-fell-in-love-with-beauty-a-long-long-time-ago-but-what-i-wanted-was/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [All the American women had purple noses and gray lips and their faces were chalk white from terrible powder. I recognized that the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/all-the-american-women-had-purple-noses-and-gray-lips-and-their-faces/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [I've always thought that a woman owes it to herself to treat the subject of her age with ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/i-ve-always-thought-that-a-woman-owes-it-to-herself-to-treat-the/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [I can't help from making money, that is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/i-can-t-help-from-making-money-that-is-all/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [The best antidote to worry, I have always believed, is work and more work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/the-best-antidote-to-worry-i-have-always-believed-is-work-and-more/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [Leave the table while you still feel you could eat a little more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/leave-the-table-while-you-still-feel-you-could-eat-a-little-more/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [Adjust your makeup to the light in which your wear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/adjust-your-makeup-to-the-light-in-which-your-wear-it/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [It doesn't matter how shaky a woman's hand is. She can still apply makeup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/it-doesn-t-matter-how-shaky-a-woman-s-hand-is-she-can-still-apply/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [Whether you are sixteen or over sixty, remember, understatement is the rule of a fine makeup artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/whether-you-are-sixteen-or-over-sixty-remember-understatement-is-the/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [I am more than ever convinced that what we eat today is what we are tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/i-am-more-than-ever-convinced-that-what-we-eat-today-is-what-we-are/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [I have never had my face lifted. I prefer to have my spirits lifted. In my opinion, the effect is very nearly the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/i-have-never-had-my-face-lifted-i-prefer-to-have-my-spirits-lifted-in/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [Daylight reveals color; artificial light drains it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/daylight-reveals-color-artificial-light-drains-it/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [Hard work keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/hard-work-keeps-the-wrinkles-out-of-the-mind-and-spirit/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) > [Human relationships are about communicating. Business jargon should be banished in favor of simple English. Simplicity is a sign of truth and a criterion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/human-relationships-are-about-communicating-business-jargon-should-be/) [Helena Rubinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) [Explore all 18 Helena Rubinstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/) ## More Children quotes > [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/) > [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 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/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But what parent can tell when some . . . fragmentary gift of knowledge or wisdom will enrich her children's lives? Or how a small seed of information passed from one generation to another may generate a new science, a new industry-a seed which neither the giver nor the receiver can truly evaluate at the time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helena Rubinstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragmentary-gift-of-knowledge-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragmentary-gift-of-knowledge-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/helena-rubinstein-29128_children_but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragm_2490797.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/helena-rubinstein-29128_children_but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragm_2490797.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/helena-rubinstein-29128_children_but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragm_2490797.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But what parent can tell when some . . . fragmentary gift of knowledge or wisdom will enrich her children's…” — Helena Rubinstein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Helena Rubinstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-rubinstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But what parent can tell when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragmentary-gift-of-knowledge-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-rubinstein/but-what-parent-can-tell-when-some-fragmentary-gift-of-knowledge-or/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```