"The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an……" — John Holt

"The idea of painless, nonthreatening coercion is an illusion. Fear is the inseparable companion of coercion, and its inescapable consequence. If you think it your duty to make children do what you want, whether they will or not, then it follows inexorably that you must make them afraid of what will happen to them if they dont do what you want. You can do this in the old-fashioned way, openly and avowedly, with the threat of harsh words, infringement of liberty, or physical punishment. Or you can do it in the modern way, subtly, smoothly, quietly, by withholding the acceptance and approval which you and others have trained the children to depend on; or by making them feel that some retribution awaits them in the future, too vague to imagine but too implacable to escape."

John Holt

19 Quotes by John Holt

John Holt has 19 quotes on this site. A few more worth reading:

See all 19 quotes by John Holt »

More Acceptance Quotes

This quote is filed under Acceptance Quotes, one of 2,150 quotes in that category. Here are a few more:

See all 2,150 Acceptance Quotes »