--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every adult parent, however lowly or…" description: "\"“Every adult parent, however lowly or powerless, had at least some one that he could command, threaten, and punish. No man was so poor, even a slave, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/john-holt-14171_parenting_every-adult-parent-however-lowly-or-powe_2158281.jpg" --- # Every adult parent, however lowly or powerless, had at… ![“Every adult parent, however lowly or powerless, had at least some one that he could command, threaten, and punish. No man was so poor, even a slave, that he could not have these few slaves of his own. Today, when most “free” men feel like slaves, having their own homegrown slaves is very satisfying.” quote by John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/john-holt-14171_parenting_every-adult-parent-however-lowly-or-powe_2158281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/john-holt-14171_parenting_every-adult-parent-however-lowly-or-powe_2158281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/john-holt-14171_parenting_every-adult-parent-however-lowly-or-powe_2158281.jpg) > ““Every adult parent, however lowly or powerless, had at least some one that he could command, threaten, and punish. No man was so poor, even a slave, that he could not have these few slaves of his own. Today, when most “free” men feel like slaves, having their own homegrown slaves is very satisfying.”” [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adults often seek control over others, especially when they feel powerless, finding satisfaction in exerting authority. **In simple terms:** People crave control when they feel powerless. Key Takeaway Recognize and address underlying insecurities. Themes power control insecurity Mood critical analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - parenting - workplace management - political leadership Key Concepts Authority psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek power over others? - How can we foster mutual respect? A Different Perspective Control can become abusive if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) ## Related quotes > [“For a very long time, ever since men formed societies in which some people bossed others, children have fulfilled this very important function. 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From there I went back to Chicago, worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/my-first-job-was-with-an-auto-plant-kansas-city-they-treated-you-like/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [“We're all like the slaves in the fields now, putting on the front that says 'Everything's fine, boss' while we worry about how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/we-re-all-like-the-slaves-in-the-fields-now-putting-on-the-front-that/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [I confront the European elite's self-image as tolerant 'while under their noses women are living like slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-confront-the-european-elite-s-self-image-as-tolerant-while-under/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“I heard other people speaking in the name of freedom, and the more they defended this unique right, the more enslaved they seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-heard-other-people-speaking-in-the-name-of-freedom-and-the-more/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Our minds become slaves to those we see as having total power to control us and to cause pain to us. We are quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majid-kazmi/our-minds-become-slaves-to-those-we-see-as-having-total-power-to/) [Majid Kazmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majid-kazmi/) > [But it is not the rich person only who is under the domination of things; they too are slaves who, having no money, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/but-it-is-not-the-rich-person-only-who-is-under-the-domination-of/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“when the Greeks, having arrested the slaves of Christian catechumens, then used force against them, in order to learn from them some secret thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/when-the-greeks-having-arrested-the-slaves-of-christian-catechumens/) The Church Fathers > [The Slave Trade, though nominally abolished, is actively pursued here, eighty-three slaves having been landed just before my arrival, and another cargo during my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grey/the-slave-trade-though-nominally-abolished-is-actively-pursued-here/) [George Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-grey/) > [“This will be seen by the fact, that the slaveholders like to have their slaves spend those days just in such a manner as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/this-will-be-seen-by-the-fact-that-the-slaveholders-like-to-have/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The Internet frees people to realize they don't have to live like slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/the-internet-frees-people-to-realize-they-don-t-have-to-live-like/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“Why is it so horrible?" I ask him. "Life. All this. Why do they need to make us do this? Why do they treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/why-is-it-so-horrible-i-ask-him-life-all-this-why-do-they-need-to/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [I've been a prima-dona. I was taken care of since I was 13. That's why I am the way I am today. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-ve-been-a-prima-dona-i-was-taken-care-of-since-i-was-13-that-s-why/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) ## More by John Holt > [“When children are very young, they have natural curiosities about the world and explore them, trying diligently to figure out what is real. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/when-children-are-very-young-they-have-natural-curiosities-about-the/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-idea-of-painless-nonthreatening-coercion-is-an-illusion-fear-is/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [The biggest enemy to learning is the talking teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/the-biggest-enemy-to-learning-is-the-talking-teacher/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Fear, boredom, and resistance--they all go to make what we call stupid children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/fear-boredom-and-resistance-they-all-go-to-make-what-we-call-stupid/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Much of what we call History is the success stories of madmen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/much-of-what-we-call-history-is-the-success-stories-of-madmen/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [Schools assume that children are not interested in learning and are not much good at it, that they will not learn unless made to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/schools-assume-that-children-are-not-interested-in-learning-and-are/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“John, if you ever get a family, there’s one thing you should know. No matter how well you get along with your children when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/john-if-you-ever-get-a-family-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-no/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [It is hard not to feel that there must be something very wrong with much of what we do in school, if we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/it-is-hard-not-to-feel-that-there-must-be-something-very-wrong-with/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Why do they do this? Because it gives them a license to act like tyrants and to feel like saints. “Do what I tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/why-do-they-do-this-because-it-gives-them-a-license-to-act-like/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/we-learn-to-do-something-by-doing-it-there-is-no-other-way/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [Since we can't know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/since-we-can-t-know-what-knowledge-will-be-most-needed-in-the-future/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Leaders are not, as we are often led to think, people who go along with huge crowds following them. Leaders are people who go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/leaders-are-not-as-we-are-often-led-to-think-people-who-go-along-with/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [People should be free to find or make for themselves the kinds of educational experience they want their children to have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/people-should-be-free-to-find-or-make-for-themselves-the-kinds-of/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“Someone asked the other day, "Why do we go to school?" Pat, with vigor unusual in her, said, "So when we grow up we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/someone-asked-the-other-day-why-do-we-go-to-school-pat-with-vigor/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [“I doubt very much if it is possible to teach anyone to understand anything, that is to say, to see how various parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/i-doubt-very-much-if-it-is-possible-to-teach-anyone-to-understand/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) [Explore all 46 John Holt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) ## More Parenting quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [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/) > [“As members of the Church, there are things you cannot do. For one, you cannot take a Las Vegas-style vacation. I do not know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-grant-bangerter/as-members-of-the-church-there-are-things-you-cannot-do-for-one-you/) [William Grant Bangerter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-grant-bangerter/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/) [Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. 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