--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know the old expression \"We haven't…" description: "\"You know the old expression \"We haven't inherited the world from our parents, we've borrowed it from our children\"? Well it's just not true. We haven't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/jane-goodall-950_borrowed_you-know-the-old-expression-we-haven-t-i_642819.jpg" --- # You know the old expression "We haven't inherited the… ![“You know the old expression "We haven't inherited the world from our parents, we've borrowed it from our children"? Well it's just not true. We haven't borrowed anything.” quote by Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/jane-goodall-950_borrowed_you-know-the-old-expression-we-haven-t-i_642819.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/jane-goodall-950_borrowed_you-know-the-old-expression-we-haven-t-i_642819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a9/jane-goodall-950_borrowed_you-know-the-old-expression-we-haven-t-i_642819.jpg) > “You know the old expression "We haven't inherited the world from our parents, we've borrowed it from our children"? Well it's just not true. We haven't borrowed anything.” [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The claim that we borrow the world from future generations is false; we have no ownership to pass on. **In simple terms:** We don't own the world to give away. Key Takeaway Act responsibly for future generations. Themes environment responsibility generational ethics ownership future Mood thoughtful concerned Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - education - community planning Key Concepts stewardship intergenerational justice ecological impact Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we have now? - How can we balance present needs with future stewardship? A Different Perspective It may overlook current inequities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The world is not given by our fathers, but borrowed from our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-world-is-not-given-by-our-fathers-but-borrowed-from-our-children/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“I believe we have inherited a world of suffering that must be transcended through the development of pointed direction, fostering an evolution to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jackson/i-believe-we-have-inherited-a-world-of-suffering-that-must-be/) Albert Jackson > [A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/a-true-conservationist-is-a-man-who-knows-that-the-world-is-not-given/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [“kid. Once you reach a certain age, the world has no more parents. But it contains a truly shocking number of children. These children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/kid-once-you-reach-a-certain-age-the-world-has-no-more-parents-but-it/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [When you're in a world, and your parents are one way, and you're told, 'This is how the whole world is, and this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/when-you-re-in-a-world-and-your-parents-are-one-way-and-you-re-told/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [What God is to the world, that parents are to their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philo/what-god-is-to-the-world-that-parents-are-to-their-children/) [Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philo/) > [I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be my parents' son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-m-the-luckiest-guy-in-the-world-to-be-my-parents-son/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [“The same thing the whole world’s parents try to impart on their children: do what makes you happy!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sansa-rayne/the-same-thing-the-whole-world-s-parents-try-to-impart-on-their/) [Sansa Rayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sansa-rayne/) > [Kids still can be said to live in their own little world. Even if their parents are helicoptering around them, assigning play dates and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/kids-still-can-be-said-to-live-in-their-own-little-world-even-if/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [ “We realized that the version of the world \[our parents\] rendered for us was not the world they really believed in, and that for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-realized-that-the-version-of-the-world-our-parents-rendered-for-us/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [One of the things we have to remember about the poorest countries in the world is that parents, extremely poor parents, are making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sperling/one-of-the-things-we-have-to-remember-about-the-poorest-countries-in/) Gene Sperling > [“I like parents, old-school, old-world parents. So real. Just think of all they've seen in their lives. They were born in another world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laleh-khadivi/i-like-parents-old-school-old-world-parents-so-real-just-think-of-all/) [Laleh Khadivi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laleh-khadivi/) > [This isn't your world. It's your parents. Your world is still out there, waiting to be discovered. Always remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant/this-isn-t-your-world-it-s-your-parents-your-world-is-still-out-there/) [Carroll Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-bryant/) > [One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/one-of-the-greatest-titles-in-the-world-is-parent-and-one-of-the/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [God is the mother and father of the world. Our parents are the mother and father of this body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-the-mother-and-father-of-the-world-our-parents-are-the-mother/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jane Goodall > [The voice of the natural world would be, "Could you please give us space and leave us alone to get along with our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/the-voice-of-the-natural-world-would-be-could-you-please-give-us/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [What makes us human, I think, is an ability to ask questions, a consequence of our sophisticated spoken language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/what-makes-us-human-i-think-is-an-ability-to-ask-questions-a/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan shave been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest,living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/chimpanzees-gorillas-orangutan-shave-been-living-for-hundreds-of/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I did this book 'Harvest for Hope,' and I learned so much about food. And one thing I learned is that we have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-did-this-book-harvest-for-hope-and-i-learned-so-much-about-food-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [From my perspective, I absolutely believe in a greater spiritual power, far greater than I am, from which I have derived strength in moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/from-my-perspective-i-absolutely-believe-in-a-greater-spiritual-power/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We are always talking about how we can get more environmental and humanitarian education. It is about listening to the voice of young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-are-always-talking-about-how-we-can-get-more-environmental-and/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some humans are mathematicians-others aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-humans-are-mathematicians-others-aren-t/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [We started off with physical evolution and got our form. Then we somehow developed language, which meant cultural evolution could race so we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-started-off-with-physical-evolution-and-got-our-form-then-we/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-was-both-fascinating-and-appalling-to-learn-that-chimpanzees-were/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I wanted to talk to the animals like Dr. Dolittle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/i-wanted-to-talk-to-the-animals-like-dr-dolittle/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Some people say, therefore, that violence and war are inevitable. I say rubbish: Our brains are fully capable of controlling instinctive behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/some-people-say-therefore-that-violence-and-war-are-inevitable-i-say/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [It's been proven by quite a few studies that plants are good for our psychological development. If you green an area, the rate of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/it-s-been-proven-by-quite-a-few-studies-that-plants-are-good-for-our/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [Having respect for animals makes us better humans..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/having-respect-for-animals-makes-us-better-humans/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [If we kill off the wild, then we are killing a part of our souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/if-we-kill-off-the-wild-then-we-are-killing-a-part-of-our-souls/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [“We still have a long way to go. But we are moving in the right direction. If only we can overcome cruelty, to human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/we-still-have-a-long-way-to-go-but-we-are-moving-in-the-right/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) [Explore all 321 Jane Goodall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) ## More Borrowed quotes > [I love awards, especially if I get them. It's up to the courage of the filmmakers to make art in cinema, not just business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gazzara/i-love-awards-especially-if-i-get-them-it-s-up-to-the-courage-of-the/) [Ben Gazzara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gazzara/) > [The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [The combination of such characters, some, as the sacral ones, altogether peculiar among Reptiles, others borrowed, as it were, from groups now distinct from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-owen/the-combination-of-such-characters-some-as-the-sacral-ones-altogether/) [Richard Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-owen/) > [I'm no innovator. If anything I'm a stealer, or borrower. I've stolen or borrowed from more people than you can shake a stick at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/i-m-no-innovator-if-anything-i-m-a-stealer-or-borrower-i-ve-stolen-or/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [Any sizeable Portuguese town looks like a superstitious bride's finery - something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/any-sizeable-portuguese-town-looks-like-a-superstitious-bride-s/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [“I came to this world with nothing, and I leave with nothing but love, everything else is just borrowed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-streets/i-came-to-this-world-with-nothing-and-i-leave-with-nothing-but-love/) The Streets > [Investors, of course, can, by their own behavior make stock ownership highly risky. And many do. Active trading, attempts to "time" market movements, inadequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/investors-of-course-can-by-their-own-behavior-make-stock-ownership/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [I'm so sick of mermaid dresses, trains, borrowed bling-bling, and a pose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-leon-talley/i-m-so-sick-of-mermaid-dresses-trains-borrowed-bling-bling-and-a-pose/) [Andre Leon Talley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-leon-talley/) > [There is a word Kristos in the Greek dictionary, and this word is supposed to be borrowed from the Sanskrit word "Krishna," and Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada/there-is-a-word-kristos-in-the-greek-dictionary-and-this-word-is/) [A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-bhaktivedanta-swami-prabhupada/) > [In 1981, I borrowed 2,000 pounds - a lot of money back then - paid 50 quid for a seat, packed my own sandwich,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/in-1981-i-borrowed-2-000-pounds-a-lot-of-money-back-then-paid-50-quid/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [I think when Tom Ford was there I borrowed a Gucci tux one time, and they were very nice and he was very kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/i-think-when-tom-ford-was-there-i-borrowed-a-gucci-tux-one-time-and/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [There is a big problem. The problem is the country borrowed too much. We went on a borrowing binge, there was a housing boom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/there-is-a-big-problem-the-problem-is-the-country-borrowed-too-much/) [George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/) > [I toyed with making portraits based on people's discarded shopping lists found on the street, or old diaries bought on eBay, or other forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-blackall/i-toyed-with-making-portraits-based-on-people-s-discarded-shopping/) [Sophie Blackall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-blackall/) > [There are instances where lines in my work are borrowed or stolen from sources, mainly from books, or they become my own versions. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-pettibon/there-are-instances-where-lines-in-my-work-are-borrowed-or-stolen/) [Raymond Pettibon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-pettibon/) > [True beauty lives on high. Ours is but a flame borrowed thence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/true-beauty-lives-on-high-ours-is-but-a-flame-borrowed-thence/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) Browse all 343 Borrowed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know the old expression \"We haven't inherited the world from our parents, we've borrowed it from our children\"? Well it's just not true. 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