John Locke Quotes About Children

Quotes about: Children

• There is frequently more to be learned from the unexpected questions of a child than the discourses of men.

  John Locke

  Children, Philosophical, Men

  John Locke, Ruth Weissbourd Grant, Nathan Tarcov (1996). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education: And, Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, Hackett Publishing

• The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men. It has God for its author; salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure.

  John Locke

  Children, Blessing, Men

• Curiosity in children, is but an appetite for knowledge. The great reason why children abandon themselves wholly to silly pursuits and trifle away their time insipidly is, because they find their curiosity balked, and their inquiries neglected.

  John Locke

  Children, Silly, Curiosity

• The tendency to cruelty
  should be watched in
  children and if they
  incline to any such
  cruelty, they should be
  taught the contrary
  usage. For the custom
  of tormenting and killing
  other animals will, by
  degrees, harden their
  hearts even toward man.
  Children should from
  the beginning, be
  brought up in an
  abhorrence of killing or
  tormenting living
  beings.

  John Locke

  Children, Heart, Animal

• Curiosity in children ... is but an appetite after knowledge and therefore ought to be encouraged in them, not only as a good sign, but as the great instrument nature has provided to remove that ignorance they were born with and which, without this busy inquisitiveness, will make them dull and useless creatures.

  John Locke

  Children, Ignorance, Curiosity

  John Locke (2007). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education: (Including Of the Conduct of the Understanding)”, p.93, Courier Corporation

• We are all a sort of chameleons, that still take a tincture from things near us: nor is it to be wondered at in children, who better understand what they see, than what they hear.

  John Locke

  Children, Wonder, Chameleon

  "Some Thoughts Concerning Education". Book by John Locke, 1693.

• Since the great foundation of fear is pain, the way to harden and fortify children against fear and danger is to accustom them to suffer pain.

  John Locke

  Children, Pain, Suffering

  John Locke, George Berkeley (2010). “Locke, Berkely & Hume”, p.106, Cosimo, Inc.

• As children's inquiries are not to be slighted, so also great care is to be taken, that they never receive deceitful and illuding answers. They easily perceive when they are slighted or deceived, and quickly learn the trick of neglect, dissimulation, and falsehood, which they observe others to make use of. We are not to intrench upon truth in any conversation, but least of all with children; since, if we play false with them, we not only deceive their expectation, and hinder their knowledge, but corrupt their innocence, and teach them the worst of vices.

  John Locke

  Children, Taken, Teaching

  John Locke (2007). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education: (Including Of the Conduct of the Understanding)”, p.94, Courier Corporation

• Let the awe [the teacher] has upon [children's] minds be so tempered with the constant marks of tenderness and good will, that affection may spur them to their duty, and make them find a pleasure in complying with his dictates. This will bring them with satisfaction to their tutor; make them hearken to him, as to one who is their friend, that cherishes them, and takes pains for their good; this will keep their thoughts easy and free, whilst they are with him, the only temper wherein the mind is capable of receiving new information, and of admitting into itself those impressions.

  John Locke

  Teacher, Children, Pain

  John Locke, George Berkeley (2010). “Locke, Berkely & Hume”, p.152, Cosimo, Inc.

• Children (nay, and men too) do most by example.

  John Locke

  Children, Men, Example

  John Locke (1693). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education”, p.69

• Curiosity in children is but an appetite for knowledge.

  John Locke

  Children, Curiosity, Appetite

• The native and untaught suggestions of inquisitive children do often offer things, that may set a considering man's thoughts on work. And I think there is frequently more to be learn'd from the unexpected questions of a child than the discourses of men, who talk in a road, according to the notions they have borrowed, and the prejudices of their education.

  John Locke

  Children, Men, Thinking

  John Locke, George Berkeley (2010). “Locke, Berkely & Hume”, p.113, Cosimo, Inc.

• Inuring children gently to suffer some degrees of pain without shrinking, is a way to gain firmness to their minds, and lay a foundation for courage and resolution in the future part of their lives.

  John Locke

  Children, Pain, Mind

  John Locke, John Milton (1830). “Some thoughts concerning education”, p.150

• Children should from the beginning be bred up in an abhorrence of killing or tormenting any living creature; and be taught not to spoil or destroy any thing, unless it be for the preservation or advantage of some other that is nobler.

  John Locke

  Children, Taught, Killing

  John Locke (1727). “The works of John Locke ...”, p.53

• Children have as much mind to show that they are free, that their own good actions come from themselves, that they are absolute and independent, as any of the proudest of you grown men, think of them as you please.

  John Locke

  Children, Independent, Thinking

  John Locke, Ruth Weissbourd Grant, Nathan Tarcov (1996). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education: And, Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, Hackett Publishing

• The first step to get this noble and manly steadiness, is... carefully keep children from frights of all kinds, when they are young. ...Instances of such who in a weak timorous mind, have borne, all their whole lives through, the effects of a fright when they were young, are every where to be seen, and therefore as much as may be to be prevented.

  John Locke

  Children, Mind, Noble

  John Locke (1727). “The works of John Locke ...”, p.51

• Since nothing appears to me to give Children so much becoming Confidence and Behavior, and so raise them to the conversation of those above their Age, as Dancing. I think they should be taught to dance as soon as they are capable of learning it.

  John Locke

  Children, Thinking, Giving

  John Locke, Ruth Weissbourd Grant, Nathan Tarcov (1996). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education: And, Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, Hackett Publishing

• Curiosity should be as carefully cherish'd in children, as other appetites suppress'd.

  John Locke

  Children, Curiosity, Cherish

  John Locke (1725). “Some Thoughts concerning Education ... The eighth edition”, p.148

• The next thing is by gentle degrees to accustom children to those things they are too much afraid of. But here great caution is to be used, that you do not make too much haste, nor attempt this cure too early, for fear lest you increase the mischief instead of remedying it.

  John Locke

  Children, Haste, Degrees

  John Locke (1727). “The works of John Locke ...”, p.51

• Thus parents, by humouring and cockering them when little, corrupt the principles of nature in their children, and wonder afterwards to taste the bitter waters, when they themselves have poison'd the fountain.

  John Locke

  Children, Water, Parent

  John Locke, George Berkeley (2010). “Locke, Berkely & Hume”, p.29, Cosimo, Inc.

• Long discourses, and philosophical readings, at best, amaze and confound, but do not instruct children. When I say, therefore, that they must be treated as rational creatures, I mean that you must make them sensible, by the mildness of your carriage, and in the composure even in the correction of them, that what you do is reasonable in you, and useful and necessary for them; and that it is not out of caprichio, passion or fancy, that you command or forbid them any thing.

  John Locke

  Children, Philosophical, Reading

  "Some Thoughts Concerning Education" by John Locke, (Sec. 81), 1693.

• Reason, if consulted with, would advise, that their children's time should be spent in acquiring what might be useful to them when they come to be men, rather than to have their heads stuff'd with a deal of trash, a great part whereof they usually never do ('tis certain they never need to) think on again as long as they live: and so much of it as does stick by them they are only the worse for.

  John Locke

  Children, Men, Thinking

  John Locke, George Berkeley (2010). “Locke, Berkely and Hume”, p.84, Cosimo, Inc.

• Children generally hate to be idle; all the care then is that their busy humour should be constantly employed in something of use to them

  John Locke

  Children, Hate, Use

  John Locke (1888*). “Some thoughts on education and an essay on the consequences of the lowering of interest and raising the value of money”

• Beating is the worst, and therefore the last means to be us'd in the correction of children, and that only in the cases of extremity, after all gently ways have been try'd, and proved unsuccessful; which, if well observ'd, there will very seldom be any need of blows.

  John Locke

  Children, Mean, Blow

  "Some Thoughts Concerning Education" by John Locke, (Sec. 84), 1693.

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