Children Quote by Margaret Mead
“Samoa culture demonstrates how much the tragic or the easy solution of the Oedipus situation depends upon the inter-relationship between parents and children, and is not created out of whole cloth by the young child's biological impulses.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Coming of Age in Samoa, Margaret Mead, 1928
The quote highlights that a child's behavior, especially in complex emotional conflicts, is shaped by parent‑child dynamics rather than solely innate urges.
In simple terms: Parent‑child bonds shape behavior more than biology alone.
Key Takeaway
Consider family influence on child actions.
Themes
family dynamics
developmental psychology
cultural influence
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
cultural
psychological
When to use this quote
- parenting advice
- counseling
- education policy
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
attachment theory
social learning
intergenerational patterns
Questions to Reflect On
- How do parent relationships affect child decisions?
- Can biology ever be ignored?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook individual agency and biological factors.
![“I did not write it [Coming of Age in Samoa] as a popular book, but only with the hope that it would be intelligible to those who might make the best use of its theme, that adolescence need not be the time of stress and strain which Western society made it; that growing up could be freer and easier…” quote by Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7af/margaret-mead-982_adolescence_i-did-not-write-it-coming-of-age-in-samo_821632.jpg)
