---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a child, I wanted to be a doctor…"
description: "\"As a child, I wanted to be a doctor, philosopher, psychologist, philanthropist and a superhero... So I became a teacher.\" — Nicholas A Ferroni"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1a/nicholas-a-ferroni-266019_children_as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philo_1904980.jpg"
---

#  As a child, I wanted to be a doctor, philosopher…

![“As a child, I wanted to be a doctor, philosopher, psychologist, philanthropist and a superhero... So I became a teacher.” quote by Nicholas A Ferroni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1a/nicholas-a-ferroni-266019_children_as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philo_1904980.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1a/nicholas-a-ferroni-266019_children_as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philo_1904980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1a/nicholas-a-ferroni-266019_children_as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philo_1904980.jpg)

> “As a child, I wanted to be a doctor, philosopher, psychologist, philanthropist and a superhero... So I became a teacher.”

Nicholas A Ferroni

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Describes childhood aspirations across many noble professions, ultimately finding purpose in teaching.

**In simple terms:** Teaching fulfills diverse aspirations.

Key Takeaway

Embrace teaching as noble work.

Themes

education purpose growth service inspiration

Mood

reflective optimistic

Type

Children:1 Mentorship:1 Philosophy:0 School:1 Teacher:1 Doctor Philosopher:0 Superhero Teacher:0 Philanthropist Superhero:0 Psychologist Philanthropist:0 Philosopher Psychologist:0

When to use this quote

- schools
- mentoring programs
- personal fulfillment

Key Concepts

pedagogy career development

Questions to Reflect On

- How does teaching align with varied ambitions?
- What other paths reflect similar service?

A Different Perspective

May romanticize teaching.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/)

## Related quotes

> [“you have a superhero as a teacher you can't get away with anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-ross/you-have-a-superhero-as-a-teacher-you-can-t-get-away-with-anything/)

R.J. Ross

> [“How easy it is, Doctor, to be a philosopher on paper, and how difficult in real life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/how-easy-it-is-doctor-to-be-a-philosopher-on-paper-and-how-difficult/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [I think any good standup or actor is part philosopher, part psychologist and sociologist, because you're constantly recreating behaviors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/i-think-any-good-standup-or-actor-is-part-philosopher-part/)

[Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/)

> [No one likes a change of coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-azpilicueta/no-one-likes-a-change-of-coach/)

[Cesar Azpilicueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-azpilicueta/)

> [Teachers are heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/teachers-are-heroes/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. "Then are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-of-his-students-asked-buddha-are-you-the-messiah-no-answered/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/)

[Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/)

> [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/)

[Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/)

> [Everything I have experienced and learned in football led me towards one day becoming a coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/everything-i-have-experienced-and-learned-in-football-led-me-towards/)

[Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/)

> [Experience is a thorough teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-holmes/experience-is-a-thorough-teacher/)

[Mary Jane Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-holmes/)

> [“The teacher can only provide the lessons, but the student ultimately decides what to learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-teacher-can-only-provide-the-lessons-but-the-student-ultimately/)

[Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/)

> [The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-teacher-is-one-who-makes-two-ideas-grow-where-only-one-grew-before/)

[Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/)

> [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/)

[Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/)

> [My coach, Robert Allen, helped me a lot. He had more influence on my growth as a player than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamarcus-aldridge/my-coach-robert-allen-helped-me-a-lot-he-had-more-influence-on-my/)

[LaMarcus Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamarcus-aldridge/)

> [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/)

[Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/)

## 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": "As a child, I wanted to be a doctor, philosopher, psychologist, philanthropist and a superhero... So I became a teacher.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nicholas A Ferroni"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-ferroni/as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philosopher-psychologist/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-ferroni/as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philosopher-psychologist/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1a/nicholas-a-ferroni-266019_children_as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philo_1904980.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1a/nicholas-a-ferroni-266019_children_as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philo_1904980.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1a/nicholas-a-ferroni-266019_children_as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philo_1904980.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As a child, I wanted to be a doctor, philosopher, psychologist, philanthropist and a superhero... So I…” — Nicholas A Ferroni",
                "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": "Nicholas A Ferroni",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-a-ferroni/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As a child, I wanted to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-ferroni/as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philosopher-psychologist/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-a-ferroni/as-a-child-i-wanted-to-be-a-doctor-philosopher-psychologist/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
