---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What lingers from the parent's individual…"
description: "\"What lingers from the parent's individual past, unresolved or incomplete, often becomes part of her or his irrational parenting.\" — Virginia Satir"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/virginia-satir-11386_incomplete_what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individua_2159812.jpg"
---

#  What lingers from the parent's individual past, unresolved…

![“What lingers from the parent's individual past, unresolved or incomplete, often becomes part of her or his irrational parenting.” quote by Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/virginia-satir-11386_incomplete_what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individua_2159812.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/virginia-satir-11386_incomplete_what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individua_2159812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/virginia-satir-11386_incomplete_what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individua_2159812.jpg)

> “What lingers from the parent's individual past, unresolved or incomplete, often becomes part of her or his irrational parenting.”

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

## About This Quote

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

Unresolved aspects of a parent’s own history can shape irrational parenting behaviors.

**In simple terms:** Parents repeat past wounds.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and heal your own past.

Themes

parenting psychology family dynamics

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

advice psychological

When to use this quote

- counseling sessions
- parent‑child workshops
- family therapy

Key Concepts

transgenerational trauma self-awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- How do your own past experiences influence your parenting?
- What steps can you take to break the cycle?

A Different Perspective

Healing requires confronting painful memories, which can be difficult.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Incomplete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incomplete/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-past-3897391/) [Irrational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational/) [Irrational Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrational-parenting-4578314/) [Lingers Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lingers-parent-4578313/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parent Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent-individual-4578316/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Unresolved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-unresolved-4578315/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Everyone's past is locked up in their recipes - the past of an individual and the past of a nation as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-esquivel/everyone-s-past-is-locked-up-in-their-recipes-the-past-of-an/)

[Laura Esquivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-esquivel/)

> [The notion that any one person can describe 'what really happened' is an absurdity. If ten - or a hundred - people witness an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/the-notion-that-any-one-person-can-describe-what-really-happened-is/)

[David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/)

> [When established identities become outworn or unfinished ones threaten to remain incomplete, special crises compel men to wage holy wars, by the cruelest means,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-established-identities-become-outworn-or-unfinished-ones/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Blackouts can be fun if approached with the right mindset. You just can't sweat the fact that you've lost a small portion of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kilmer-purcell/blackouts-can-be-fun-if-approached-with-the-right-mindset-you-just/)

[Josh Kilmer-Purcell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kilmer-purcell/)

> [Of course, we knew that the official reports were sketchy, if not falsified. But, in terms of information theory, this is precisely where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-zuse/of-course-we-knew-that-the-official-reports-were-sketchy-if-not/)

[Konrad Zuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-zuse/)

> [Some of the greatest moments in life come from moments that are incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-reed/some-of-the-greatest-moments-in-life-come-from-moments-that-are/)

[Nikki Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-reed/)

> [A wife is like a children's movie; always under-appreciated and without either, life would be incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/a-wife-is-like-a-children-s-movie-always-under-appreciated-and/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [An incomplete sketch superbly executed is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schmid/an-incomplete-sketch-superbly-executed-is-power/)

[Richard Schmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schmid/)

> [Many men build as cathedrals are built-the part nearest the ground finished, but that part which soars toward heaven, the turrets and the spires,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/many-men-build-as-cathedrals-are-built-the-part-nearest-the-ground/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [I don't think we have all the words in a single vocabulary to explain what we are or why we are. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-fuller/i-don-t-think-we-have-all-the-words-in-a-single-vocabulary-to-explain/)

[Alexandra Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-fuller/)

> [if you get married they think you're finished and if you are without a woman they think you're incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/if-you-get-married-they-think-you-re-finished-and-if-you-are-without/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [People don't have an ongoing relation unless it's a form of debt because everything is an exchange, so ongoing relationships are incomplete exchanges, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/people-don-t-have-an-ongoing-relation-unless-it-s-a-form-of-debt/)

[David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/)

> [Miss You In Every Beat Of My Heart In Every Blink Of My Eyes In Every Second Of Time In Every Moment Of A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xashif-shah/miss-you-in-every-beat-of-my-heart-in-every-blink-of-my-eyes-in-every/)

[Xashif Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xashif-shah/)

> [When you feel you have good although incomplete expertise, start trying things. If it's not working, try something else; maintain an experimental mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/when-you-feel-you-have-good-although-incomplete-expertise-start/)

[Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/)

> [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/)

[Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/)

## More by Virginia Satir

> [You have all played a significant part in my development of loving. As a result, my life has been rich and full, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/you-have-all-played-a-significant-part-in-my-development-of-loving-as/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [Taste everything, but swallow only what fits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/taste-everything-but-swallow-only-what-fits/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [Once a human being has arrived on this earth, communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships he makes with others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/once-a-human-being-has-arrived-on-this-earth-communication-is-the/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [Over the years I have developed a picture of what a human being living humanely is like. She is a person who understand, values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/over-the-years-i-have-developed-a-picture-of-what-a-human-being/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [We need to see ourselves as basic miracles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/we-need-to-see-ourselves-as-basic-miracles/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/the-greatest-gift-i-can-give-is-to-see-hear-understand-and-touch/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [Communication is to relationships what breath is to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/communication-is-to-relationships-what-breath-is-to-life/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [I regard (parenting) as the hardest, most complicated, anxiety-ridden, sweat-and-blood-producing job in the world. Succeeding requires the ultimate in patience, common sense, commitment, humor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/i-regard-parenting-as-the-hardest-most-complicated-anxiety-ridden/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [No one's fingerprints are exactly the same as anyone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/no-one-s-fingerprints-are-exactly-the-same-as-anyone-else-s/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [Put together all the existing families and you have society. It is as simple as that. Whatever kind of training took place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/put-together-all-the-existing-families-and-you-have-society-it-is-as/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [It's sad that children cannot know their parents when they were younger; when they were loving, courting, and being nice to one another. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/it-s-sad-that-children-cannot-know-their-parents-when-they-were/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [I want to appreciate you without judging. Join you without invading. Invite you without demanding. Leave you without guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/i-want-to-appreciate-you-without-judging-join-you-without-invading/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [I have talked about choosing rather than acting from compulsion. When you feel that you have to live according to someone else's direction or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/i-have-talked-about-choosing-rather-than-acting-from-compulsion-when/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen by them, heard by them, to be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/i-believe-the-greatest-gift-i-can-conceive-of-having-from-anyone-is/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

> [So much is asked of parents, and so little is given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/so-much-is-asked-of-parents-and-so-little-is-given/)

[Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

[Explore all 58 Virginia Satir quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/)

## More Incomplete quotes

> [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/)

[Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/)

> [When you feel you have good although incomplete expertise, start trying things. If it's not working, try something else; maintain an experimental mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/when-you-feel-you-have-good-although-incomplete-expertise-start/)

[Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/)

> [Miss You In Every Beat Of My Heart In Every Blink Of My Eyes In Every Second Of Time In Every Moment Of A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xashif-shah/miss-you-in-every-beat-of-my-heart-in-every-blink-of-my-eyes-in-every/)

[Xashif Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xashif-shah/)

> [People don't have an ongoing relation unless it's a form of debt because everything is an exchange, so ongoing relationships are incomplete exchanges, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/people-don-t-have-an-ongoing-relation-unless-it-s-a-form-of-debt/)

[David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/)

> [if you get married they think you're finished and if you are without a woman they think you're incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/if-you-get-married-they-think-you-re-finished-and-if-you-are-without/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I don't think we have all the words in a single vocabulary to explain what we are or why we are. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-fuller/i-don-t-think-we-have-all-the-words-in-a-single-vocabulary-to-explain/)

[Alexandra Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-fuller/)

> [Many men build as cathedrals are built-the part nearest the ground finished, but that part which soars toward heaven, the turrets and the spires,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/many-men-build-as-cathedrals-are-built-the-part-nearest-the-ground/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [An incomplete sketch superbly executed is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schmid/an-incomplete-sketch-superbly-executed-is-power/)

[Richard Schmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schmid/)

> [A wife is like a children's movie; always under-appreciated and without either, life would be incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/a-wife-is-like-a-children-s-movie-always-under-appreciated-and/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [Some of the greatest moments in life come from moments that are incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-reed/some-of-the-greatest-moments-in-life-come-from-moments-that-are/)

[Nikki Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-reed/)

> [Of course, we knew that the official reports were sketchy, if not falsified. But, in terms of information theory, this is precisely where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-zuse/of-course-we-knew-that-the-official-reports-were-sketchy-if-not/)

[Konrad Zuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-zuse/)

> [Blackouts can be fun if approached with the right mindset. You just can't sweat the fact that you've lost a small portion of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kilmer-purcell/blackouts-can-be-fun-if-approached-with-the-right-mindset-you-just/)

[Josh Kilmer-Purcell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kilmer-purcell/)

> [When established identities become outworn or unfinished ones threaten to remain incomplete, special crises compel men to wage holy wars, by the cruelest means,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-established-identities-become-outworn-or-unfinished-ones/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“What if everything was unfinished? What if everything was made incomplete?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-vann/what-if-everything-was-unfinished-what-if-everything-was-made/)

[David Vann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-vann/)

> [No matter where i go, i still end up me. What's missing never changes. The scenery may change, but i'm still the same incomplete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/no-matter-where-i-go-i-still-end-up-me-what-s-missing-never-changes/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

[Browse all 408 Incomplete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incomplete/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What lingers from the parent's individual past, unresolved or incomplete, often becomes part of her or his irrational parenting.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Virginia Satir"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individual-past-unresolved-or/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Incomplete"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individual-past-unresolved-or/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/virginia-satir-11386_incomplete_what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individua_2159812.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/virginia-satir-11386_incomplete_what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individua_2159812.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/virginia-satir-11386_incomplete_what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individua_2159812.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What lingers from the parent's individual past, unresolved or incomplete, often becomes part of her or his…” — Virginia Satir",
                "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": "Virginia Satir",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What lingers from the parent's individual...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individual-past-unresolved-or/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/what-lingers-from-the-parent-s-individual-past-unresolved-or/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
