--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sorrow makes us all children again.’…" description: "\"“Sorrow makes us all children again.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.”\" — Leonard Pitts Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_children_sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph_897949.jpg" --- # Sorrow makes us all children again.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson… ![“Sorrow makes us all children again.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.” quote by Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_children_sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph_897949.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_children_sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph_897949.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_children_sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph_897949.jpg) > ““Sorrow makes us all children again.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.”” [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Quotes Emerson that sorrow returns us to childlike vulnerability, suggesting growth through emotional honesty. **In simple terms:** Sorrow reveals childlike openness. Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability. Themes vulnerability growth empathy Mood somber hopeful Type essay philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - grief - creative work Key Concepts emotional intelligence humility healing Questions to Reflect On - How does sorrow open you to learning? - What childlike qualities can you reclaim? A Different Perspective Sorrow can be overwhelming if unprocessed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) ## Related quotes > [“Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “We are always getting ready to live, but never living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ralph-waldo-emerson-said-we-are-always-getting-ready-to-live-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Every man I meet is in some way my superior.” I love this quotation, because even before I’d found it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lauretano/ralph-waldo-emerson-said-every-man-i-meet-is-in-some-way-my-superior/) Arthur Lauretano > [“Remember, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Don’t be too timid or squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/remember-as-ralph-waldo-emerson-said-don-t-be-too-timid-or-squeamish/) [Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/) > [Sorrow makes us all children again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Ralph Waldo Emerson had this truth in mind when he said (in his essay on Compensation), “If you serve an ungrateful master, serve him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/ralph-waldo-emerson-had-this-truth-in-mind-when-he-said-in-his-essay/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“Don't follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" ~Ralph Waldo Emerson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-follow-where-the-path-may-lead-go-instead-where-there-is-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“things Are of one pattern made; bird, beast, and flower, Song, picture, form, space, thought, and character, Deceive us, seeming to be many things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-k-cowan/things-are-of-one-pattern-made-bird-beast-and-flower-song-picture/) Laura K. Cowan > [“It was the afternoon of the day and the afternoon of his life, and his course was now westward down all the mountains into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/it-was-the-afternoon-of-the-day-and-the-afternoon-of-his-life-and-his/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [President Heber J. Grant often quoted the following statement, which is sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “That which we persist in doing becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heber-j-grant/president-heber-j-grant-often-quoted-the-following-statement-which-is/) [Heber J. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heber-j-grant/) > [“Environmentalist Paul Hawken, in the 2009 commencement address to the University of Portland, said, “Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-pastor/environmentalist-paul-hawken-in-the-2009-commencement-address-to-the/) Paul J. Pastor > [“He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life. Ralph Waldo Emerson.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenz-font/he-who-is-not-everyday-conquering-some-fear-has-not-learned-the/) Lorenz Font > [Ralph Waldo Emerson would definitely be my homeboy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/ralph-waldo-emerson-would-definitely-be-my-homeboy/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [I pretend no originality in observing that mass education was motivated in part by the perceived need to "educate them to keep them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-pretend-no-originality-in-observing-that-mass-education-was/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. Any fish can swim near the surface, but it takes a great whale to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/on-ralph-waldo-emerson-i-love-all-men-who-dive-any-fish-can-swim-near/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-then-creative-reading-as-well-as-creative-writing-when-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Leonard Pitts Jr > [“You could never tell if he was with you or not, so Cooley liked to talk to him just in case. Just to remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/you-could-never-tell-if-he-was-with-you-or-not-so-cooley-liked-to/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Sometimes, you simply must follow your heart," she said. "No reasonable man can blame you for that." A smile. "No reasonable woman can, either.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sometimes-you-simply-must-follow-your-heart-she-said-no-reasonable/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“There were few things more paralyzing than fear and worry, and she could not understand why other people—even Bonnie—withstood them so readily. The world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/there-were-few-things-more-paralyzing-than-fear-and-worry-and-she/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“It was skin, she decided. Only skin. And it had no power to add or subtract or otherwise alter her fundamental understanding of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/it-was-skin-she-decided-only-skin-and-it-had-no-power-to-add-or/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“It occurred to Mo that he didn't have any pictures of himself as a boy. Every photo he owned, every memento of his life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/it-occurred-to-mo-that-he-didn-t-have-any-pictures-of-himself-as-a/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Sometimes, yesterday says goodbye to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sometimes-yesterday-says-goodbye-to-you/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Everything that lived, died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/everything-that-lived-died/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“For the first time in his life, the very first time in his life, he hated her. Or he tried to, at least. Tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/for-the-first-time-in-his-life-the-very-first-time-in-his-life-he/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“He had not known until that moment that your heart can break with love, that it can fill with such inexpressible tenderness till you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/he-had-not-known-until-that-moment-that-your-heart-can-break-with/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“He was numb from aching. And from fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/he-was-numb-from-aching-and-from-fear/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“They drove through the intersection and turned left on a street Mo had once known like his favorite song. It was strange to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/they-drove-through-the-intersection-and-turned-left-on-a-street-mo/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“You think you've reached the bottom. Then you find out the bottom has a basement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/you-think-you-ve-reached-the-bottom-then-you-find-out-the-bottom-has/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Love is a powerful tie, son. At the end, it's the thing that pulls us back together when everything else has pulled us apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/love-is-a-powerful-tie-son-at-the-end-it-s-the-thing-that-pulls-us/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“You could get lost in and never care about finding your way back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/you-could-get-lost-in-and-never-care-about-finding-your-way-back/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights do we protect anyone's rights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-rights-do-we-protect-anyone-s/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) [Explore all 22 Leonard Pitts Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [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/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [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/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“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 a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sorrow makes us all children again.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Pitts Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph-waldo-emerson-said-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph-waldo-emerson-said-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_children_sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph_897949.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_children_sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph_897949.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_children_sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph_897949.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sorrow makes us all children again.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.” — Leonard Pitts Jr", "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": "Leonard Pitts Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sorrow makes us all children again.’...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph-waldo-emerson-said-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph-waldo-emerson-said-that/#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 } } ] } ```