---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: thing we can do for the young is set an…"
description: "\"“thing we can do for the young is set an example,’ said Oliver slowly. ‘I discovered that long ago. They don’t listen to us, they find most of what we ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/penny-vincenzi-49645_influence_thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an_86142.jpg"
---

#  thing we can do for the young is set an example,’ said…

![“thing we can do for the young is set an example,’ said Oliver slowly. ‘I discovered that long ago. They don’t listen to us, they find most of what we have to say at best tedious and at worst inane. We can influence them simply by what we do and how we do it. Now think about” quote by Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/penny-vincenzi-49645_influence_thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an_86142.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/penny-vincenzi-49645_influence_thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an_86142.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/penny-vincenzi-49645_influence_thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an_86142.jpg)

> ““thing we can do for the young is set an example,’ said Oliver slowly. ‘I discovered that long ago. They don’t listen to us, they find most of what we have to say at best tedious and at worst inane. We can influence them simply by what we do and how we do it. Now think about””

[Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

## About This Quote

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

Adults influence youth more through actions than words; example is the most effective teaching tool.

**In simple terms:** Actions speak louder

Key Takeaway

Model behavior matters

Themes

leadership education influence example

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- parenting
- mentoring
- management

Key Concepts

role modeling

Practical Applications

- leadership training
- parenting workshops

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do youths dismiss direct advice?
- How can we align actions with intended lessons?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/)

## Related quotes

> [“take her" he said "Oliver is not going to be pleased, boy. Better go." "I had to," Michael said. "I had to stake him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/take-her-he-said-oliver-is-not-going-to-be-pleased-boy-better-go-i/)

[Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/)

> [“Well,” Match says, “we’re just gonna have to take care of business. That’s what my old man always told me. He always said, ‘Oliver,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-huss/well-match-says-we-re-just-gonna-have-to-take-care-of-business-that-s/)

[J.A. Huss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-huss/)

> [“I want to be a bad example,” she said. “I see.” Myrtle stirred herself, ready to walk to the prow. “Well, my dear, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-want-to-be-a-bad-example-she-said-i-see-myrtle-stirred-herself/)

[Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/)

> [“...each living creature is said to be alive and to be the same individual-- as for example someone is said to be the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-living-creature-is-said-to-be-alive-and-to-be-the-same/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Mr. Branwell and Mr. Carstairs seem to have no problem cleaning their boots,” Sophie said, looking darkly from Will to Tessa. “Perhaps you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/mr-branwell-and-mr-carstairs-seem-to-have-no-problem-cleaning-their/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“Hair under the arms, for example, he said, should never be removed, for nature had put it there, and evidently it had some use.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/hair-under-the-arms-for-example-he-said-should-never-be-removed-for/)

[Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/)

> [By speech first, but far more by writing, man has been able to put something of himself beyond death. In tradition and in books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/by-speech-first-but-far-more-by-writing-man-has-been-able-to-put/)

[Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/)

> [I was landscaping not too long ago, so I'm extremely grateful for the people supporting me in wrestling. Not that landscaping is terrible, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-riddle/i-was-landscaping-not-too-long-ago-so-i-m-extremely-grateful-for-the/)

[Matt Riddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-riddle/)

> [“We ought to live each day as though it were our last day here below. But if I did, alas, I know it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-hein/we-ought-to-live-each-day-as-though-it-were-our-last-day-here-below/)

[Piet Hein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-hein/)

> [Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all the pressure is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the-top-statutory-rate-was-50/)

[Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/)

> [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [There must be a technique for meeting pain. There must be a technique of endurance based on the power of the soul to maintain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stannard-baker/there-must-be-a-technique-for-meeting-pain-there-must-be-a-technique/)

[Ray Stannard Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stannard-baker/)

> [“Not very long ago I was driving with my husband on the back roads of Grey County, which is to the north and east…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/not-very-long-ago-i-was-driving-with-my-husband-on-the-back-roads-of/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [A wholesome regard for the memory of the great men of long ago is the best assurance to a people of a continuation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/a-wholesome-regard-for-the-memory-of-the-great-men-of-long-ago-is-the/)

[Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/)

> [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/)

[Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/)

## More by Penny Vincenzi

> [“He was self-assured without being cocky, friendly but not pushy, independent but in no way precocious. He was also exceptionally selfreliant, perfectly happy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/he-was-self-assured-without-being-cocky-friendly-but-not-pushy/)

[Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

> [“Marriages don't stay in neat, tidy shapes you know; they sprawl about, very messily sometimes. The important thing is not to let them get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/marriages-don-t-stay-in-neat-tidy-shapes-you-know-they-sprawl-about/)

[Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

> [“And on Sunday we went to the flea market and it was so cool. Nicola said she wanted to look at pictures and fabrics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/and-on-sunday-we-went-to-the-flea-market-and-it-was-so-cool-nicola/)

[Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

> [“From the very beginning it seemed very clear to her that if you were going to succeed in life you succeeded on your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/from-the-very-beginning-it-seemed-very-clear-to-her-that-if-you-were/)

[Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

> [“its romantic embellishments – a”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/its-romantic-embellishments-a/)

[Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

> [“not his first choice. He works most of the time with people like Fiona Campbell-Walter and Barbara”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/not-his-first-choice-he-works-most-of-the-time-with-people-like-fiona/)

[Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

[Explore all 7 Penny Vincenzi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/)

## More Influence quotes

> [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/)

> [Life is not about how much you have but how much you have affect others life positively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-about-how-much-you-have-but-how-much-you-have-affect/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/)

[Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/)

> [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/)

[Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/)

> [We believe a scientist because he can substantiate his remarks, not because he is eloquent and forcible in his enunciation. In fact, we distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-a-richards/we-believe-a-scientist-because-he-can-substantiate-his-remarks-not/)

[I. A. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-a-richards/)

> [It seemed to me that the human beings I met reacted pretty much the same to the same stimuli. Different idioms,yes. Circumstances and conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/it-seemed-to-me-that-the-human-beings-i-met-reacted-pretty-much-the/)

[Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/)

> [Every man is a missionary, now and forever, for good or for evil, whether he intends or designs it or not. He may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-chalmers/every-man-is-a-missionary-now-and-forever-for-good-or-for-evil/)

[Thomas Chalmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-chalmers/)

> [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/)

[Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/)

> [Influences come from everywhere. I don't really feel like I had too many influences for the first record because I grew up listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/influences-come-from-everywhere-i-don-t-really-feel-like-i-had-too/)

[Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/)

> [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/)

[Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/)

> [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/)

[Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/)

[Browse all 7,121 Influence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“thing we can do for the young is set an example,’ said Oliver slowly. ‘I discovered that long ago. They don’t listen to us, they find most of what we have to say at best tedious and at worst inane. We can influence them simply by what we do and how we do it. Now think about”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Penny Vincenzi"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an-example-said-oliver-slowly-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Influence"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an-example-said-oliver-slowly-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/penny-vincenzi-49645_influence_thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an_86142.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/penny-vincenzi-49645_influence_thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an_86142.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/penny-vincenzi-49645_influence_thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an_86142.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“thing we can do for the young is set an example,’ said Oliver slowly. ‘I discovered that long ago. They…” — Penny Vincenzi",
                "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": "Penny Vincenzi",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“thing we can do for the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an-example-said-oliver-slowly-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/thing-we-can-do-for-the-young-is-set-an-example-said-oliver-slowly-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
