Adult Quote by Roald Dahl
“The adult is the enemy of the child because of the awful process of civilizing this thing that, when it is born, is an animal with no manners, no moral sense at all.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, 1982
Civilization suppresses natural animal instincts, making adulthood a constraint.
In simple terms: Society tames innate animal nature.
Question the cost of “civilizing”.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- childhood education
- parenting
- cultural critique
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What freedoms are lost in adulthood?
- Can adults retain childlike wonder?
May idealize childhood.