--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Children are the living messages we send…" description: "\"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. From a biological point of view it is inconceivable that any culture will forget th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/954/neil-postman-1598_artifacts_children-are-the-living-messages-we-send_2588622.jpg" --- # Children are the living messages we send to a time we will… ![“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. From a biological point of view it is inconceivable that any culture will forget that it needs to reproduce itself. But it is quite possible for a culture to exist without a social idea of children. Unlike infancy, childhood is a…” quote by Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/954/neil-postman-1598_artifacts_children-are-the-living-messages-we-send_2588622.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/954/neil-postman-1598_artifacts_children-are-the-living-messages-we-send_2588622.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/954/neil-postman-1598_artifacts_children-are-the-living-messages-we-send_2588622.jpg) > “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. From a biological point of view it is inconceivable that any culture will forget that it needs to reproduce itself. But it is quite possible for a culture to exist without a social idea of children. Unlike infancy, childhood is a social artifact, not a biological category.” [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children are cultural symbols we create for future generations, but societies can exist without seeing them as essential social units. **In simple terms:** Children are cultural symbols for future generations. Key Takeaway Recognize the cultural role of children beyond biology. Themes culture future children Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - education policy - family planning - media representation - anthropological research Key Concepts symbolism social constructs generational continuity Questions to Reflect On - How do modern societies view children beyond biology - ? - What responsibilities do we have to future generations? A Different Perspective Cultural shifts may diminish the perceived necessity of children. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Infancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infancy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We cannot even recollect the actions of our infancy, our childhood is like something written on a slate and rubbed off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinoba-bhave/we-cannot-even-recollect-the-actions-of-our-infancy-our-childhood-is/) [Vinoba Bhave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinoba-bhave/) > [Every generation rediscovers and re-evaluates the meaning of infancy and childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-gesell/every-generation-rediscovers-and-re-evaluates-the-meaning-of-infancy/) Arnold Gesell > [“Safety and innocence don't exist in nature. 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They may save the teacher some trouble, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/textbooks-it-seems-to-me-are-enemies-of-education-instruments-for/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [The whole problem with news on television comes down to this: all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-whole-problem-with-news-on-television-comes-down-to-this-all-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“There being no international copyright laws, “pirated” editions abounded, with no complaint from the public, or much from authors, who were lionized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/there-being-no-international-copyright-laws-pirated-editions-abounded/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The television commercial is not at all about the character of products to be consumed. 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Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [We often attribute 'understanding' and other cognitive predicates by metaphor and analogy to cars, adding machines, and other artifacts, but nothing is proved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/we-often-attribute-understanding-and-other-cognitive-predicates-by/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [From the alienated starting point of our pseudo-sanity, everything is equivocal. Our sanity is not "true" sanity. Their madness is not "true" madness. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/from-the-alienated-starting-point-of-our-pseudo-sanity-everything-is/) [R. D. 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