--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Children are contemptuous, haughty…" description: "\"Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and hypocrites, quick to laugh and cry, extreme in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_child_children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irrita_1892795.png" --- # Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious… ![“Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and hypocrites, quick to laugh and cry, extreme in expressing joy and sorrow, especially about trifles, they'll do anything to avoid pain but they enjoy inflicting it: little men already.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_child_children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irrita_1892795.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_child_children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irrita_1892795.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_child_children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irrita_1892795.png) > “Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and hypocrites, quick to laugh and cry, extreme in expressing joy and sorrow, especially about trifles, they'll do anything to avoid pain but they enjoy inflicting it: little men already.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children display many negative traits but also intense emotions, often avoiding pain while sometimes causing it. **In simple terms:** Kids can be both hurtful and deeply feeling. Key Takeaway Guide children toward empathy and self‑awareness. Themes childhood emotions behavior psychology Mood reflective concerned Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - parenting - school classroom - family dinner - playground conflict Key Concepts developmental psychology emotional regulation moral education Questions to Reflect On - What experiences shape a child's temperament? - How can we teach compassion early? A Different Perspective Generalizing all children is inaccurate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Contemptuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-contemptuous-2745354/) [Contemptuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemptuous/) [Contemptuous Haughty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemptuous-haughty-2745356/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Envious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envious/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Haughty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haughty/) [Haughty Irritable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haughty-irritable-2745355/) [Hypocrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrite/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Joys and sorrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joys-and-sorrows/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [Liars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liars/) [Little man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-man/) [Little Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-men-437194/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Sneaky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sneaky/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Trifles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trifles/) ## Related quotes > [To little men, gods send little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callimachus/to-little-men-gods-send-little-things/) [Callimachus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callimachus/) > [The establishment is made up of little men, very frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/the-establishment-is-made-up-of-little-men-very-frightened/) [Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/) > [...small too even the longest fame thereafter, which is itself subject to a succession of little men who quickly die, and have no knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/small-too-even-the-longest-fame-thereafter-which-is-itself-subject-to/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [We can't always expect great things from great men; but we must always expect little things from little men!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-can-t-always-expect-great-things-from-great-men-but-we-must-always/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [a generation that cannot endure boredom will be a generation of little men, of men unduly divorced from the slow process of nature, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/a-generation-that-cannot-endure-boredom-will-be-a-generation-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The little men who live behind my eyes and scream directly at my brain told me to tell you 'hello.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-little-men-who-live-behind-my-eyes-and-scream-directly-at-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Bah. What does it matter now? There are no certainties let in the world. That was the age of great men, doing what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/bah-what-does-it-matter-now-there-are-no-certainties-let-in-the-world/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [“Little jobs require little men, and it's the little jobs that keep a kingdom running.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/little-jobs-require-little-men-and-it-s-the-little-jobs-that-keep-a/) [David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/) > [Great men cultivate love...only little men cherish a spirit of hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/great-men-cultivate-love-only-little-men-cherish-a-spirit-of-hatred/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [“It is the mark of little men to like only what they know; one step beyond, and they feel the black cold of chaos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/it-is-the-mark-of-little-men-to-like-only-what-they-know-one-step/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [No sooner does a great man depart, and leave his character as public property, than a crowd of little men rushes towards it. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sooner-does-a-great-man-depart-and-leave-his-character-as-public/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Democracy demands that little men should not take big ones too seriously; it dies when it is full of little men who think they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/democracy-demands-that-little-men-should-not-take-big-ones-too/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poor little men, poor little cocks! As soon as they're old enough, they swell their plumage to be conquerors. If they only knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/poor-little-men-poor-little-cocks-as-soon-as-they-re-old-enough-they/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Great causes and little men go ill together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/great-causes-and-little-men-go-ill-together/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [I am a little man and this is a little town, but there must be a spark in little men that can burst into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-a-little-man-and-this-is-a-little-town-but-there-must-be-a-spark/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“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 parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) [Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/) > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) [Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and hypocrites, quick to laugh and cry, extreme in expressing joy and sorrow, especially about trifles, they'll do anything to avoid pain but they enjoy inflicting it: little men already.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de la Bruyere" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irritable-envious-sneaky-selfish/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Child" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irritable-envious-sneaky-selfish/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_child_children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irrita_1892795.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_child_children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irrita_1892795.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20a/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_child_children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irrita_1892795.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and…” — Jean de la Bruyere", "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": "Jean de la Bruyere", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irritable-envious-sneaky-selfish/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irritable-envious-sneaky-selfish/#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 } } ] } ```