Children Quote by Robertson Davies
““What really shapes and conditions and makes us is somebody only a few of us ever have the courage to face: and that is the child you once were, long before formal education ever got its claws into you - that impatient, all-demanding child who wants love and power and can't get enough of either and who goes on raging and weeping in your spirit till at last your eyes are closed and all the fools say, 'Doesn't he look peaceful?' It is those pent-up, craving children who make all the wars and all the horrors and all the art and all the beauty and discovery in life, because they are trying to achieve what lay beyond their grasp before they were five years old.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Lyre of Orpheus by Robertson Davies, 1973
The quote suggests that our inner child, with its raw desires and unfiltered emotions, drives both our creative and destructive impulses throughout life.
In simple terms: Our inner child fuels both creation and destruction.
Key Takeaway
Reconnect with and nurture your inner child.
Themes
creativity
conflict
identity
growth
psychology
Mood
reflective
introspective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
psychological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- artistic expression
- personal development
- conflict resolution
- education reform
- mental health therapy
Key Concepts
inner child
unconscious drive
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we channel youthful yearning into positive outcomes?
- What role should education play in balancing inner child impulses?
A Different Perspective
The quote may romanticize childhood impulses without addressing the need for societal structures to channel them constructively.
