Empathy Quote by Sylvia Plath
““I seem to grow more acutely conscious of the swift passage of time as I grow older. When I was small, days and hours were long and spacious, and there was play and acres of leisure, and many children's books to read. I remember that as I was writing a poem on "Snow" when I was eight. I said aloud, "I wish I could have the ability to write down the feelings I have now while I'm still little, because when I grow up I will know how to write, but I will have forgotten what being little feels like." And so it is that childlike sensitivity to new experiences and sensations seems to diminish in an inverse proportion to growth of technical ability. As we become polished, so do we become hardened and guilty of accepting eating, sleeping, seeing, and hearing too easily and lazily, without question. We become blunt and callous and blissfully passive as each day adds another drop to the stagnant well of our years.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Unpublished personal poem, date unknown
Aging sharpens awareness of time, while childhood offers expansive, unguarded perception that fades as technical skill grows.
In simple terms: Growing older makes time feel faster and childhood sensitivity fades.
Key Takeaway
Cherish and record youthful feelings before they fade.
Themes
time
aging
childhood
sensitivity
skill
Mood
reflective
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
personal
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing memoirs
- teaching children
- reflecting on personal growth
- preserving childhood memories
Key Concepts
nostalgia
psychology
development
creativity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can adults retain childlike wonder?
- What practices help preserve early sensitivities?
A Different Perspective
The reflection may romanticize childhood, overlooking its challenges and the value of adult insight.
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
