--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do understand people when they say that…" description: "\"I do understand people when they say that you destroy the magic of childhood if you encourage too much skeptical questioning.\" — Richard Dawkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/392/richard-dawkins-115_childhood_i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-tha_3148500.jpg" --- # I do understand people when they say that you destroy the… ![“I do understand people when they say that you destroy the magic of childhood if you encourage too much skeptical questioning.” quote by Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/392/richard-dawkins-115_childhood_i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-tha_3148500.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/392/richard-dawkins-115_childhood_i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-tha_3148500.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/392/richard-dawkins-115_childhood_i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-tha_3148500.jpg) > “I do understand people when they say that you destroy the magic of childhood if you encourage too much skeptical questioning.” [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encouraging constant questioning can diminish the wonder and imagination of childhood. **In simple terms:** Too much skepticism kills childhood magic. Key Takeaway Balance curiosity with imagination. Themes education childhood skepticism Mood reflective balanced Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - parenting - education - creative play - storytelling Key Concepts wonder imagination critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster curiosity without losing awe? - What role does imagination play in learning? A Different Perspective Children need both wonder and critical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Childhood Encourage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood-encourage-5641824/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Encourage Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encourage-skeptical-5641823/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Magic Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic-childhood-3597545/) [Magic of childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic-of-childhood/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Questioning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioning/) [Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical/) [Skeptical Questioning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical-questioning-3621138/) [They say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/they-say/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) ## Related quotes > [Recently, I've really responded to books that bring the magic of childhood back to us as adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/recently-i-ve-really-responded-to-books-that-bring-the-magic-of/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [I have always believed in the magic of childhood and think that if you get your life right that magic should never end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-thompson/i-have-always-believed-in-the-magic-of-childhood-and-think-that-if-2/) [Colin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-thompson/) > [I have always believed in the magic of childhood and think that if you get your life right that magic should never end. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-thompson/i-have-always-believed-in-the-magic-of-childhood-and-think-that-if/) [Colin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-thompson/) > [The magic of childhood is the strangeness of childhood — the uniqueness that makes us see things that other people don't see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/the-magic-of-childhood-is-the-strangeness-of-childhood-the-uniqueness/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [Pamalican Island is a wonderful story told with the sparkle of fun and a true understanding of the magic of childhood. A magical journey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raffaella-barker/pamalican-island-is-a-wonderful-story-told-with-the-sparkle-of-fun/) [Raffaella Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raffaella-barker/) > [“...that kind of skeptical questioning, don't accept what authority tells you -attitude of science- is also nearly identical to the attitude of mind necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/that-kind-of-skeptical-questioning-don-t-accept-what-authority-tells/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [What is the best balance between comfortable habit and skeptical questioning, between following community traditions and independent thinking, between acceptance and crusading for change?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lockwood-huie/what-is-the-best-balance-between-comfortable-habit-and-skeptical/) [Jonathan Lockwood Huie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lockwood-huie/) > [Childhood is the world of miracle or of magic: it is as if creation rose luminously out of the night, all new and fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eug-ne-ionesco/childhood-is-the-world-of-miracle-or-of-magic-it-is-as-if-creation/) [Eugene Ionesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eug-ne-ionesco/) > [Let's see, now... in HOGFATHER there are a number of stabbings, someone's killed by a man made of knives, someone's killed by the dark,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/let-s-see-now-in-hogfather-there-are-a-number-of-stabbings-someone-s/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-greatest-secrets-are-always-hidden-in-the-most-unlikely-places/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/watch-with-glittering-eyes-the-whole-world-around-you/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [What I am skeptical about is the idea that whatever wonderful revelation does come in the science of the future, it will turn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-i-am-skeptical-about-is-the-idea-that-whatever-wonderful/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [For any CEO that is skeptical at all: you have to create a social enterprise today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/for-any-ceo-that-is-skeptical-at-all-you-have-to-create-a-social/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [It is a very cynical, skeptical, foolish person that suggests Israel does not need a peace process to have a growing economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/it-is-a-very-cynical-skeptical-foolish-person-that-suggests-israel/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) ## More by Richard Dawkins > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The word 'mundane' has come to mean 'boring' and 'dull', and it really shouldn't - it should mean the opposite. Because it comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-word-mundane-has-come-to-mean-boring-and-dull-and-it-really/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“The fundamentalist Kurt Wise proclaims that all the evidence in the universe would not change his mind. The true scientist, however passionately he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-fundamentalist-kurt-wise-proclaims-that-all-the-evidence-in-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Religions do make claims about the universe--the same kinds of claims that scientists make, except they're usually false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/religions-do-make-claims-about-the-universe-the-same-kinds-of-claims/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/much-of-the-bible-is-not-systematically-evil-but-just-plain-weird-as/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The Roman Catholic Church is an institution for whose gains the phrase "ill-gotten" might have been specially invented. And of all its money-making rip-offs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-roman-catholic-church-is-an-institution-for-whose-gains-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/let-us-understand-what-our-own-selfish-genes-are-up-to-because-we-may/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [We have seen that living things are too improbable and too beautifully 'designed' to have come into existence by chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-have-seen-that-living-things-are-too-improbable-and-too/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“We will not go quietly away. If in the future that requires violence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-will-not-go-quietly-away-if-in-the-future-that-requires-violence/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It's a truly disgusting idea that the creator of the universe - capable of inventing the laws of physics and designing the evolutionary process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-s-a-truly-disgusting-idea-that-the-creator-of-the-universe-capable/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Explore all 1,239 Richard Dawkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) ## More Childhood quotes > [“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/) > [“From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/from-childhood-s-hour-i-have-not-been-as-others-were-i-have-not-seen/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [I had a rough upbringing. Group homes. Foster homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-shamrock/i-had-a-rough-upbringing-group-homes-foster-homes/) [Frank Shamrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-shamrock/) > [When I talk about my childhood I used to say it as if it was scripted and I'd make jokes because it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-katona/when-i-talk-about-my-childhood-i-used-to-say-it-as-if-it-was-scripted/) [Kerry Katona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-katona/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [Downstairs in my house, I have a museum room. I keep all of my awards down there, and childhood photos, and even all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-kelly/downstairs-in-my-house-i-have-a-museum-room-i-keep-all-of-my-awards/) [R. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [On paper, it looks rough, but I had a great childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-morton/on-paper-it-looks-rough-but-i-had-a-great-childhood/) [Samantha Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-morton/) > [Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter into your brains from very childhood. Lay yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralysing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/let-positive-strong-helpful-thoughts-enter-into-your-brains-from-very/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I always knew that I was kind of bored; the regular life of a child didn't fit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/i-always-knew-that-i-was-kind-of-bored-the-regular-life-of-a-child/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I'm not sure I would have ever started to draw, let alone write, if my childhood hadn't been so happy. It was a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/i-m-not-sure-i-would-have-ever-started-to-draw-let-alone-write-if-my/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) [Browse all 5,837 Childhood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I do understand people when they say that you destroy the magic of childhood if you encourage too much skeptical questioning.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Dawkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-that-you-destroy-the-magic-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Childhood" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-that-you-destroy-the-magic-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/392/richard-dawkins-115_childhood_i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-tha_3148500.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/392/richard-dawkins-115_childhood_i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-tha_3148500.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/392/richard-dawkins-115_childhood_i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-tha_3148500.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I do understand people when they say that you destroy the magic of childhood if you encourage too much…” — Richard Dawkins", "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": "Richard Dawkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I do understand people when they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-that-you-destroy-the-magic-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-do-understand-people-when-they-say-that-you-destroy-the-magic-of/#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 } } ] } ```