--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back in the 70s, there was a huge…" description: "\"“Back in the 70s, there was a huge self-esteem movement in education. Basically, it said that if you continued to tell children they were great and eve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/nick-ambrosino-69651_education_back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-es_104481.jpg" --- # Back in the 70s, there was a huge self-esteem movement in… ![“Back in the 70s, there was a huge self-esteem movement in education. Basically, it said that if you continued to tell children they were great and everything they did was great, they would turn out great. But that’s not what actually happened. “The problem is, very simply, that sometimes things we…” quote by Nick Ambrosino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/nick-ambrosino-69651_education_back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-es_104481.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/nick-ambrosino-69651_education_back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-es_104481.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/nick-ambrosino-69651_education_back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-es_104481.jpg) > ““Back in the 70s, there was a huge self-esteem movement in education. Basically, it said that if you continued to tell children they were great and everything they did was great, they would turn out great. But that’s not what actually happened. “The problem is, very simply, that sometimes things we do are not always great! Sometimes we simply do it wrong; we make mistakes; we screw up. Instead of those students learning that, what they learned was that learning was about never messing up, and that was not reality.”” Nick Ambrosino ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overpraise in education can create a false belief that mistakes are unacceptable, hindering genuine learning and resilience. **In simple terms:** Constant praise can teach kids that errors are bad, not a normal part of growth. Key Takeaway Praise must be balanced with realistic feedback. Themes education self-esteem growth mindset feedback Mood reflective cautious Type advice observation When to use this quote - classroom grading - parent‑child encouragement - coaching sessions Key Concepts psychology of motivation learning theory Practical Applications - Provide specific, process‑focused feedback - Encourage reflection on mistakes Questions to Reflect On - How can educators praise effort without masking errors? - What feedback style best builds resilience? A Different Perspective Some argue that positive reinforcement boosts confidence; however, without corrective input it may foster complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/) ## Related quotes > [When you home study, you get a better education. I basically got to teach myself. Being naturally able to make my own opinions about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thora-birch/when-you-home-study-you-get-a-better-education-i-basically-got-to/) [Thora Birch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thora-birch/) > [The mindset ideas were developed as a counter to the self-esteem movement of blanketing everyone with praise, whether deserved or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/the-mindset-ideas-were-developed-as-a-counter-to-the-self-esteem/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) > [“they thought they couldn’t, through work and fierce effort. Teaching a child to accept and even embrace struggle, rather than shy away from it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katty-kay/they-thought-they-couldn-t-through-work-and-fierce-effort-teaching-a/) [Katty Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katty-kay/) > [I know at least for me, man, I wanted to be the best dad I could be. I was trying to be perfect. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tomlin/i-know-at-least-for-me-man-i-wanted-to-be-the-best-dad-i-could-be-i/) [Mike Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tomlin/) > [It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/it-s-only-those-who-do-nothing-that-make-no-mistakes-i-suppose/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [I want people to see me make mistakes and learn from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananya-panday/i-want-people-to-see-me-make-mistakes-and-learn-from-them/) [Ananya Panday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananya-panday/) > [{MONEY & WOMEN} The HUGE Reasons To Make MISTAKES In LIFE! Piece Of Advice, Be Careful Mate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abiodun-t-olaonipekun/money-women-the-huge-reasons-to-make-mistakes-in-life-piece-of-advice/) Abiodun T Olaonipekun > [Even when I make mistakes and people exploit my mistakes on television or on the Internet, and they use it to make fun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hasselhoff/even-when-i-make-mistakes-and-people-exploit-my-mistakes-on/) [David Hasselhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hasselhoff/) > [I have never meant a person that was perfect. We all make mistakes. Even the people that think they're perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-never-meant-a-person-that-was-perfect-we-all-make-mistakes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People make mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-barnholdt/people-make-mistakes/) [Lauren Barnholdt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-barnholdt/) > [If you don't make mistakes, you're not working on hard enough problems. And that's a big mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-wikzek/if-you-don-t-make-mistakes-you-re-not-working-on-hard-enough-problems/) F Wikzek > [Suddenly you make no mistakes because thats only me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bognar/suddenly-you-make-no-mistakes-because-thats-only-me/) [Jenna Bognar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bognar/) > [Look, we are human, we make mistakes. I will gladly shout from the rooftops that I am not perfect. Nor will I ever be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianna-agron/look-we-are-human-we-make-mistakes-i-will-gladly-shout-from-the/) [Dianna Agron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianna-agron/) > [If we make mistakes, as we all do - don't run from God, run to Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/if-we-make-mistakes-as-we-all-do-don-t-run-from-god-run-to-him/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [When you make mistakes during routines, it's not easy getting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-sacramone/when-you-make-mistakes-during-routines-it-s-not-easy-getting-through/) [Alicia Sacramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-sacramone/) ## More by Nick Ambrosino > [“You can only provide the optimal environment in which your student can choose to learn and grow. The responsibility to learn is up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-ambrosino/you-can-only-provide-the-optimal-environment-in-which-your-student/) Nick Ambrosino > [“While you may see yourself as a teacher of the subject music, you are so much more! You are a teacher of people; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-ambrosino/while-you-may-see-yourself-as-a-teacher-of-the-subject-music-you-are/) Nick Ambrosino > [“Being a baseball coach or a piano teacher insinuates that baseballs and pianos need to be taught. We are coaches who facilitate people on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-ambrosino/being-a-baseball-coach-or-a-piano-teacher-insinuates-that-baseballs/) Nick Ambrosino Explore all 4 Nick Ambrosino quotes ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Back in the 70s, there was a huge self-esteem movement in education. Basically, it said that if you continued to tell children they were great and everything they did was great, they would turn out great. But that’s not what actually happened. “The problem is, very simply, that sometimes things we do are not always great! Sometimes we simply do it wrong; we make mistakes; we screw up. Instead of those students learning that, what they learned was that learning was about never messing up, and that was not reality.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Ambrosino" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-ambrosino/back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-esteem-movement-in-education/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-ambrosino/back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-esteem-movement-in-education/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/nick-ambrosino-69651_education_back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-es_104481.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/nick-ambrosino-69651_education_back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-es_104481.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/nick-ambrosino-69651_education_back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-es_104481.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Back in the 70s, there was a huge self-esteem movement in education. Basically, it said that if you…” — Nick Ambrosino", "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": "Nick Ambrosino", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-ambrosino/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Back in the 70s, there was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-ambrosino/back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-esteem-movement-in-education/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-ambrosino/back-in-the-70s-there-was-a-huge-self-esteem-movement-in-education/#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 } } ] } ```