---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A child in its greed for love does not…"
description: "\"A child in its greed for love does not enjoy having to share the affection of its parents with its brothers and sisters; and it notices that the whole ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/sigmund-freud-360_affection_a-child-in-its-greed-for-love-does-not-e_1150001.jpg"
---

#  A child in its greed for love does not enjoy having to…

![“A child in its greed for love does not enjoy having to share the affection of its parents with its brothers and sisters; and it notices that the whole of their affection is lavished upon it once more whenever it arouses their anxiety by falling ill. It has now discovered a means of enticing out…” quote by Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/sigmund-freud-360_affection_a-child-in-its-greed-for-love-does-not-e_1150001.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/sigmund-freud-360_affection_a-child-in-its-greed-for-love-does-not-e_1150001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/sigmund-freud-360_affection_a-child-in-its-greed-for-love-does-not-e_1150001.jpg)

> “A child in its greed for love does not enjoy having to share the affection of its parents with its brothers and sisters; and it notices that the whole of their affection is lavished upon it once more whenever it arouses their anxiety by falling ill. It has now discovered a means of enticing out its parents' love and will make use of that means as soon as it has the necessary psychical material at its disposal for producing an illness.”

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

## About This Quote

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

A child may feign illness to gain parental attention, using illness as a tool to manipulate affection when other means fail.

**In simple terms:** Children can manipulate love through illness.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address underlying emotional needs.

Themes

family dynamics psychology manipulation attention-seeking

Mood

concerned reflective

Type

clinical educational

When to use this quote

- parenting
- therapy
- education

Key Concepts

attachment theory developmental psychology emotional regulation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can parents respond without reinforcing the behavior?
- What healthier ways can a child express need for affection?

A Different Perspective

Illness may be a symptom of deeper distress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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