--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Kids are beautiful, man. And they know…" description: "\"Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than grownups think they know. Kids are just perfect people until grownups get their hands on them.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-irving-337_beautiful_kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-muc_2334505.jpg" --- # Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than… ![“Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than grownups think they know. Kids are just perfect people until grownups get their hands on them.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-irving-337_beautiful_kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-muc_2334505.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-irving-337_beautiful_kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-muc_2334505.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-irving-337_beautiful_kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-muc_2334505.jpg) > “Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than grownups think they know. Kids are just perfect people until grownups get their hands on them.” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children possess innate insight and purity that adults often overlook. **In simple terms:** Kids see truth adults miss. Key Takeaway Value children's perspectives. Themes innocence wisdom growth Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - parenting - teaching - family dynamics Key Concepts developmental psychology education Questions to Reflect On - How can adults listen more to children? - What can we learn from youthful honesty? A Different Perspective Adults may misinterpret children's simplicity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Grownups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grownups/) [Grownups Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grownups-think-4455126/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Kids Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids-beautiful-291937/) [Know Grownups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-grownups-4581795/) [Know Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-kids-339789/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Grownups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-grownups-2352699/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Perfect people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Grownups! Everyone remembers them. How strange and even sad it is that we never became what they were: beings noble, infallible, and free. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-enright/grownups-everyone-remembers-them-how-strange-and-even-sad-it-is-that/) [Elizabeth Enright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-enright/) > [When people are grownups they're grown ups. They make their own decisions you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-redzepi/when-people-are-grownups-they-re-grown-ups-they-make-their-own/) [Rene Redzepi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-redzepi/) > [“Children remember staying up late. Grownups think about getting up early”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/children-remember-staying-up-late-grownups-think-about-getting-up/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) > [The relationship I have with my kids is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-levy/the-relationship-i-have-with-my-kids-is-beautiful/) [William Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-levy/) > [One of the most beautiful things in the world is seeing a mommy with her kids. There's nothing more beautiful, nothing more sublime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/one-of-the-most-beautiful-things-in-the-world-is-seeing-a-mommy-with/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [I think some parents think, 'Oh, having kids is so beautiful; I want others to feel the joy I do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/i-think-some-parents-think-oh-having-kids-is-so-beautiful-i-want/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [There are two names that jump right out to me they are Mariska Hargitay and Katie Holmes. Both of these women are incredibly talented,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailee-madison/there-are-two-names-that-jump-right-out-to-me-they-are-mariska/) [Bailee Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailee-madison/) > [Kids are the most beautiful beings that can come into your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/namrata-shirodkar/kids-are-the-most-beautiful-beings-that-can-come-into-your-life/) [Namrata Shirodkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/namrata-shirodkar/) > [Seeing our kids' beautiful, colorful art hung on the wall brightens my heart and our home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffani-thiessen/seeing-our-kids-beautiful-colorful-art-hung-on-the-wall-brightens-my/) [Tiffani Thiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffani-thiessen/) > [Kids are perfect people till grownups get their hands on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/kids-are-perfect-people-till-grownups-get-their-hands-on-them/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I would want America to know our kids need us. Spend as much time with your kids as you can. Enjoy them. Be with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/i-would-want-america-to-know-our-kids-need-us-spend-as-much-time-with/) [Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/) > [“You never know with kids. You can train them all you want, but when they grow old enough, you just gotta hope and pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steena-holmes/you-never-know-with-kids-you-can-train-them-all-you-want-but-when/) [Steena Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steena-holmes/) > [“Sometimes I wonder. On the pathetic scale, where would I land? I know other kids my age would go to the mall if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-mullaly-hunt/sometimes-i-wonder-on-the-pathetic-scale-where-would-i-land-i-know/) [Lynda Mullaly Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-mullaly-hunt/) > [I don't know about the world, but I know kids. And I feel like sometimes kids don't get involved because they think, what can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bush/i-don-t-know-about-the-world-but-i-know-kids-and-i-feel-like/) [Jenna Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bush/) > [You want your kids to feel happy and good about themselves. The rest they'll work out on their own. You never know what your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/you-want-your-kids-to-feel-happy-and-good-about-themselves-the-rest/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than grownups think they know. Kids are just perfect people until grownups get their hands on them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-much-more-than-grownups-think/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beautiful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-much-more-than-grownups-think/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-irving-337_beautiful_kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-muc_2334505.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-irving-337_beautiful_kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-muc_2334505.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/john-irving-337_beautiful_kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-muc_2334505.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Kids are beautiful, man. And they know much more than grownups think they know. Kids are just perfect people…” — John Irving", "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": "John Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Kids are beautiful, man. And they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-much-more-than-grownups-think/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/kids-are-beautiful-man-and-they-know-much-more-than-grownups-think/#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 } } ] } ```