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Thomas Szasz

Thomas Szasz Quotes

Psychiatrist

Thomas Szasz, born on April 15, 1920 in Hungary, was a renowned American psychiatrist, writer, and philosopher. He is known for his critical views on psychiatry and liberalism, particularly his skepticism about the nature of mental illness and his emphasis on individual freedom.

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Famous Thomas Szasz Quotes

“Competence in heterosexuality, or at least the appearance or pretense of such competence, is as much a public affair as a privateone. Thus, going steady is a high school diploma in heterosexuality; engagement a BA; marriage an MA; and children a Ph.D.”

Children School High School Affair Appearance Engagement Steady Competence Pretense Diploma Heterosexuality Public Affairs High School Diploma

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily.”

Source: Words to the Wise: A Medical-Philosophical Dictionary

“A child becomes an adult when he realizes that he has a right not only to be right but also to be wrong.”

Children Age Realizing Family Adults Maturity Adulthood

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Permissiveness is the principle of treating children as if they were adults; and the tactic of making sure they never reach that stage.”

Ifs Children Principles Stage Adults Tactics

Book:The second sin

Source: The second sin

“Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children, and by children to adults.”

Children Wisdom Funny Happiness Conditions Adults Imaginary Valentine Inner Happiness Funny Valentines Day Funny Valentine Funny Valentines Day Card Happiness Now Cute Funny Valentines Day

Author:Thomas Szasz

“In the United States today, there is a pervasive tendency to treat children as adults, and adults as children. The options of children are thus steadily expanded, while those of adults are progressively constricted. The result is unruly children and childish adults.”

Children States Today Parent United Results United States Adults Treats Tendencies Unruly Large Family

Book:The Untamed Tongue: A Dissenting Dictionary

Source: The Untamed Tongue: A Dissenting Dictionary

“Parents teach children discipline for two different, indeed diametrically opposed, reasons: to render the child submissive to them and to make him independent of them. Only a self-disciplined person can be obedient; and only such a person can be autonomous.”

Children Persons Two Different Self Reason Parent Teach Discipline Independent Obedient Submissive Autonomous

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Labeling a child as mentally ill is stigmatization, not diagnosis. Giving a child a psychiatric drug is poisoning, not treatment.”

Giving Children Drug Ill Treatment Diagnosis Poisoning Mentally Ill Labeling Psychiatric

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Like fast-food chains, child psychiatric inpatient units and the wholesale psychiatric drugging of children, in and out of hospitals, are recent...and remarkably popular products and practices.”

Children Practice Products Chains Hospitals Units Fast Food Psychiatric Wholesale Food Chain

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Child psychology and child psychiatry cannot be reformed. They must be abolished.”

Children Psychology Psychiatry Child Psychology

Author:Thomas Szasz

“Why do children want to grow up? Because they experience their lives as constrained by immaturity and perceive adulthood as a condition of greater freedom and opportunity. But what is there today, in America, that very poor and very rich adolescents want to do but cannot do? Not much: they can do drugs, have sex, make babies, and get money (from their parents, crime, or the State). For such adolescents, adulthood becomes synonymous with responsibility rather than liberty. Is it any surprise that they remain adolescents?”