--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Children are overbearing, supercilious…" description: "\"Children are overbearing, supercilious, passionate, envious, inquisitive, egotistical, idle, fickle, timid, intemperate, liars, and dissemblers; they l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bears_children-are-overbearing-supercilious-pa_1018316.jpg" --- # Children are overbearing, supercilious, passionate… ![“Children are overbearing, supercilious, passionate, envious, inquisitive, egotistical, idle, fickle, timid, intemperate, liars, and dissemblers; they laugh and weep easily, are excessive in their joys and sorrows, and that about the most trifling objects; they bear no pain, but like to inflict it…” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bears_children-are-overbearing-supercilious-pa_1018316.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bears_children-are-overbearing-supercilious-pa_1018316.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/add/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_bears_children-are-overbearing-supercilious-pa_1018316.jpg) > “Children are overbearing, supercilious, passionate, envious, inquisitive, egotistical, idle, fickle, timid, intemperate, liars, and dissemblers; they laugh and weep easily, are excessive in their joys and sorrows, and that about the most trifling objects; they bear no pain, but like to inflict it on others; already they are men.” [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 extreme emotional swings, selfishness, and curiosity, reflecting immature yet human traits. **In simple terms:** Kids are moody, selfish, and curious. Key Takeaway Recognize and guide their extremes. Themes childhood emotions behavior development Mood reflective concerned Type observational analytical When to use this quote - parenting - education - mental health - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology human nature growth Questions to Reflect On - How can adults model balanced emotions? - What role does empathy play in childhood? A Different Perspective Children’s capacity for pain is limited, yet they can cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Overbearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-overbearing-2253826/) [Egotistical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egotistical/) [Envious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envious/) [Excessive Joys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excessive-joys-2253828/) [Fickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fickle/) [Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idle/) [Inquisitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquisitive/) [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/) [Liars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liars/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [No pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-pain/) [Objects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objects/) [Overbearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overbearing/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Sorrows Trifling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrows-trifling-2253827/) [Supercilious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supercilious/) [Trifling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trifling/) ## Related quotes > [Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and hypocrites, quick to laugh and cry, extreme in expressing joy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/children-are-contemptuous-haughty-irritable-envious-sneaky-selfish/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Such nonsense!" declared Dr Greysteel. "Whoever heard of cats doing anything useful!" "Except for staring at one in a supercilious manner," said Strange. "That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/such-nonsense-declared-dr-greysteel-whoever-heard-of-cats-doing/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [I am a part of the part that at first was all, part of the darkness that gave birth to the light, that supercilious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-a-part-of-the-part-that-at-first-was-all-part-of-the-darkness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The sweaty players in the game of life always have more fun than the supercilious spectators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/the-sweaty-players-in-the-game-of-life-always-have-more-fun-than-the/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [He looked as if he'd stepped straight off the cover of one of those romance novels she ordered from Amazon.com so she didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/he-looked-as-if-he-d-stepped-straight-off-the-cover-of-one-of-those/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Now he realized the truth: that sacrifice was no purchase of freedom. 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Of course, it is because you have 200 people on set every day listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mazer/it-s-incredibly-easy-as-a-director-to-be-egotistical-of-course-it-is/) [Dan Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mazer/) > [“Another large share of it comes from overbearing or critical parents who don’t let their kids screw up on their own often enough,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/another-large-share-of-it-comes-from-overbearing-or-critical-parents/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) ## 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. 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