--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A burnt child loves the fire." description: "\"A burnt child loves the fire.\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/oscar-wilde-16_children_a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire-2027346_2027346.jpg" --- # A burnt child loves the fire. ![“A burnt child loves the fire.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/oscar-wilde-16_children_a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire-2027346_2027346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/oscar-wilde-16_children_a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire-2027346_2027346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/oscar-wilde-16_children_a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire-2027346_2027346.jpg) > “A burnt child loves the fire.” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experiencing pain leads to a paradoxical attraction to its source. **In simple terms:** Pain draws people to the fire. Key Takeaway Beware of repeating harmful patterns. Themes psychology addiction danger irony human nature Mood reflective somber insightful Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - relationships - addictive behaviors - risk‑taking - personal growth Key Concepts self‑sabotage trauma response risk‑seeking Questions to Reflect On - Why are we drawn to what hurts us? - How can we break the cycle? A Different Perspective Attraction to danger can be destructive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burnt/) [Burnt Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burnt-child-1601276/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Child Loves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-loves-3704175/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-love/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Loves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loves/) ## Related quotes > [The burnt child, urged by rankling ire, Can hardly wait to get back at the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/the-burnt-child-urged-by-rankling-ire-can-hardly-wait-to-get-back-at/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Burnt child fire dredth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heywood/burnt-child-fire-dredth/) [John Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heywood/) > [The burnt child dreads the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/the-burnt-child-dreads-the-fire/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [A burnt child dreads the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/a-burnt-child-dreads-the-fire/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [A burnt child dreads the fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sreenadh/a-burnt-child-dreads-the-fair/) [Sreenadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sreenadh/) > [The things which the child loves remain in the domain of the heart until old age. The most beautiful thing in life is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-things-which-the-child-loves-remain-in-the-domain-of-the-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-child-loves-you-for-a-long-long-time-not-just-to-play-with-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The things which the child loves remain in the domain of the heart until old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-things-which-the-child-loves-remain-in-the-domain-of-the-heart-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The things which the child loves remain in the domain of the heart until old age. The most beautiful thing in life is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/the-things-which-the-child-loves-remain-in-the-domain-of-the-heart-3/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [“A burnt broom that has had enough, and refuses to burn further...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/a-burnt-broom-that-has-had-enough-and-refuses-to-burn-further/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“None of these is in line with your original ideal of using the alien civilization as a way to reform humanity. YE: I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/none-of-these-is-in-line-with-your-original-ideal-of-using-the-alien/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [A burnt dog dreads the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/a-burnt-dog-dreads-the-fire/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [It is difficult not to be unjust to what one loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-is-difficult-not-to-be-unjust-to-what-one-loves/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Each time that one loves is the only time one has ever loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/each-time-that-one-loves-is-the-only-time-one-has-ever-loved/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Burnt quotes > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You tried to so hard to forget me; you burnt the letters I made. Though my memory has been dying, I hope the feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-james/you-tried-to-so-hard-to-forget-me-you-burnt-the-letters-i-made-though/) [Joshua James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-james/) > [It was love at first sight. Until reality struck like lightning and burnt up everything leaving me with nothing but scars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-was-love-at-first-sight-until-reality-struck-like-lightning-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A burnt dog dreads the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/a-burnt-dog-dreads-the-fire/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [“None of these is in line with your original ideal of using the alien civilization as a way to reform humanity. YE: I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/none-of-these-is-in-line-with-your-original-ideal-of-using-the-alien/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [“A burnt broom that has had enough, and refuses to burn further...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/a-burnt-broom-that-has-had-enough-and-refuses-to-burn-further/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“We burnt the salt and the herbs (in America it is correct to drop the h in herbs---it does sound odd.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith-i-capture-the-castle/we-burnt-the-salt-and-the-herbs-in-america-it-is-correct-to-drop-the/) [Dodie Smith I Capture the Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith-i-capture-the-castle/) > [“Moth to a flame. Somehow we both got burnt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/moth-to-a-flame-somehow-we-both-got-burnt/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [He was now in that state of fire that she loved. She wanted to be burnt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/he-was-now-in-that-state-of-fire-that-she-loved-she-wanted-to-be-burnt/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [The girl is lost ;she is burnt flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fad-ibra/the-girl-is-lost-she-is-burnt-flesh/) [Fad Ibra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fad-ibra/) > [A burnt child dreads the fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sreenadh/a-burnt-child-dreads-the-fair/) [Sreenadh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sreenadh/) > [Alas! that my body, clean and whole, never been corrupted, today must be consumed and burnt to ashes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-of-arc/alas-that-my-body-clean-and-whole-never-been-corrupted-today-must-be/) [Joan of Arc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-of-arc/) > [There are also always those burnt, hard kernels at the bottom that don't pop. You know why they don't pop? They don't pop because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/there-are-also-always-those-burnt-hard-kernels-at-the-bottom-that-don/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [Of the big horror movies of the '70s, you have 'The Omen,' 'The Sentinel,' 'Rosemary's Baby,' 'The Stepford Wives,' 'Burnt Offerings' - these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/of-the-big-horror-movies-of-the-70s-you-have-the-omen-the-sentinel/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [In black Cataracts wouldn't whitewash away. Her filthy smoke stack she burnt me like a furnace for my future suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cradle-of-filth/in-black-cataracts-wouldn-t-whitewash-away-her-filthy-smoke-stack-she/) [Cradle Of Filth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cradle-of-filth/) [Browse all 136 Burnt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burnt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A burnt child loves the fire.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Burnt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/oscar-wilde-16_children_a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire-2027346_2027346.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/oscar-wilde-16_children_a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire-2027346_2027346.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/oscar-wilde-16_children_a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire-2027346_2027346.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A burnt child loves the fire.” — Oscar Wilde", "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": "Oscar Wilde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A burnt child loves the fire.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-burnt-child-loves-the-fire/#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 } } ] } ```