--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The poorer children were, to her mind…" description: "\"The poorer children were, to her mind, often better behaved, less whiny, more creative in making use of their own time, and have a well-developed sense..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/malcolm-gladwell-348_child_the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-oft_800585.png" --- # The poorer children were, to her mind, often better… ![“The poorer children were, to her mind, often better behaved, less whiny, more creative in making use of their own time, and have a well-developed sense of independence.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/malcolm-gladwell-348_child_the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-oft_800585.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/malcolm-gladwell-348_child_the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-oft_800585.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/malcolm-gladwell-348_child_the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-oft_800585.png) > “The poorer children were, to her mind, often better behaved, less whiny, more creative in making use of their own time, and have a well-developed sense of independence.” [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children with fewer resources often develop independence and creativity through self‑directed time. **In simple terms:** Limited means can foster self‑reliance. Key Takeaway Encourage autonomy, value resourcefulness. Themes independence creativity resourcefulness Mood analytical thoughtful Type sociological inspirational When to use this quote - after‑school programs - parenting strategies - community projects - youth mentorship Key Concepts developmental psychology education socio‑economic factors Questions to Reflect On - What structures can nurture independence in low‑resource settings? - How does freedom of time influence creativity? A Different Perspective Not all disadvantaged children thrive; support matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“... when people are getting poorer, and children are growing more hungry and sick all around you, it is simply not enough for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/when-people-are-getting-poorer-and-children-are-growing-more-hungry/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“Poorer children grow up with more stress and more disruption, and these disadvantages produce effects on the brain. Researchers often use dull tests to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/poorer-children-grow-up-with-more-stress-and-more-disruption-and/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Back then we were better-behaved than you young boystoday; we were better instructed; so I start in my bestest French:Mademoiselle, from the first time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/back-then-we-were-better-behaved-than-you-young-boystoday-we-were/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [“I have searched all over the world but failed to see a virtue better than being well-behaved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-have-searched-all-over-the-world-but-failed-to-see-a-virtue-better/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Really, trees are nearly as important as men, and much better behaved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/really-trees-are-nearly-as-important-as-men-and-much-better-behaved/) [Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/) > [“You don't have to look back to see those children; part of your mind will see them forever, live with them forever, love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/you-don-t-have-to-look-back-to-see-those-children-part-of-your-mind/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Children have as much mind to show that they are free, that their own good actions come from themselves, that they are absolute and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/children-have-as-much-mind-to-show-that-they-are-free-that-their-own/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [“You don't have to look back to see those children; part of your mind will see them forever. They are not necessarily the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/you-don-t-have-to-look-back-to-see-those-children-part-of-your-mind-2/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Even as we grew up, my mother could not help imposing herself between her children and whatever it was they might take it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/even-as-we-grew-up-my-mother-could-not-help-imposing-herself-between/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [Children have their own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sridevi/children-have-their-own-mind/) [Sridevi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sridevi/) > [After all, at end of the day, when you're breathing your last, it's not your producer, director, or cast mates by your bedside; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratzenberger/after-all-at-end-of-the-day-when-you-re-breathing-your-last-it-s-not/) [John Ratzenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratzenberger/) > [“would place beside her in my mind’s eye the young competent woman, proud, courageous, and generous, I’d known as a child. I was living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-ker-conway/would-place-beside-her-in-my-mind-s-eye-the-young-competent-woman/) [Jill Ker Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-ker-conway/) > [Nothing clears a troubled mind better than shooting a bow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-bear/nothing-clears-a-troubled-mind-better-than-shooting-a-bow/) [Fred Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-bear/) > [You may control a mad elephant; You may shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger; Ride the lion and play with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/you-may-control-a-mad-elephant-you-may-shut-the-mouth-of-the-bear-and/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [“No-one knows your mind better than you do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-blackwood/no-one-knows-your-mind-better-than-you-do/) Rusty Blackwood ## More by Malcolm Gladwell > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) [Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“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 parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) [Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The poorer children were, to her mind, often better behaved, less whiny, more creative in making use of their own time, and have a well-developed sense of independence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Gladwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-often-better-behaved-less-whiny/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Child" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-often-better-behaved-less-whiny/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/malcolm-gladwell-348_child_the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-oft_800585.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/malcolm-gladwell-348_child_the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-oft_800585.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1d/malcolm-gladwell-348_child_the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-oft_800585.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The poorer children were, to her mind, often better behaved, less whiny, more creative in making use of…” — Malcolm Gladwell", "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": "Malcolm Gladwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The poorer children were, to her...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-often-better-behaved-less-whiny/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-poorer-children-were-to-her-mind-often-better-behaved-less-whiny/#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 } } ] } ```