“The reason I despised families with many children in particular was because each child they forced into the world tended to force even more, as did each subsequent generation, which resulted in an exponential growth of new human beings, none of whom asked to be born.
As the philosopher David Benatar has pointed out, assuming each couple has three children, their total descendants over ten generations amount to 88,572 new people. Now that’s a lot of unnecessary human beings! A lot of unnecessary pain and suffering! A lot of unnecessary British tourists!”
Source: I Hate Traveling
“There is literally no way to prepare for parenthood. You can read all the books and make a schedule and love that little person more than you ever thought possible, but being a parent will still gut you. Your kid will say they hate you, they’ll projectile vomit in your face, they’ll have friends you don’t like or they won’t have enough friends and you’ll worry. You’ll never be sure if you should push them harder or whether you need to back off. You won’t know whether to follow your instincts or do what everyone else is doing. You will never be fully relaxed again.”
Source: Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
“Children are precious. When you love them, don't love them as if their love lacks.
Love them as if their love is already
full.
When you teach them, don't teach them as if ignorance defines them. Teach them as if
their soul is already full.”
Source: The Wealth Reference Guide: An American Classic
“Your children learn what's important, by what you give your attention to.”
Source: Ageless Wisdom: A Treasury of Quotes to Motivate & Inspire
“You may have had a parent that judged you or was highly critical. If so, you may be so familiar with judgment directed at you during your formative years that you automatically judge yourself.”
Source: The Flower of Heaven: Opening the Divine Heart Through Conscious Friendship & Love Activism
“Where are you taking me?” Raziel asked through a mouthful of food.
“Wherever I desire.”
“And what do you desire, ma’am?” the boy retorted, swallowing.
“That you be silent.”
Source: A Canticle of Two Souls
“Up high in the sky,
Far and not near,
Not seen by your eye,
Nor hear by your ear...”
Source: The New Cloud
“It just seems like such a hard road"-she took deep breaths until she felt herself inflated to the brink of bursting-"such a tough life. This is not the easy way."
"no," Penn agreed, "but I'm not sure easy is what I want for the kids anyway."
She looked up at him. "why the hell not?"
"I mean, if we could have everything, sure. If we can have it all, yeah, I wish them easy, successful, fun-filled lives, crowned with good friends, attentive lovers, heaps of money, intellectual stimulation, and good views out the window. I wish them eternal beauty, international travel, and smart things to watch on TV. But if I can't have everything, if I only get a few, I'm not sure easy makes my wish list."
"Really?"
"Easy is nice, but it's not as good as getting to be who you are or stand up for what you believe in," said Penn. "Easy is nice, but I wonder how often it leads to fulfilling work or partnership or being."
"Easy probably rules out having children," Rosie admitted.
"Having children, helping people, making art, inventing anything, leading the way, tackling the world's problems, overcoming your own. I don't know. Not much of what I value in our lives is easy. But there's not much of it I'd trade for easy either, I don't think.”
Source: This Is How It Always Is
“There is in Moscow a great curiosity for things American, and a great sympathy for things Negro. So, being both an American and a Negro, I am met everywhere with friendly questions from children and adults as to how we live at home. Is there really a crisis, with people hungry and ragged when there are in America so many factories, so much technique, so much wheat, and cotton and livestock? How can that be? Do they actually kill people in electric chairs? Actually lynch Negroes? Why?
The children in the Moscow streets, wise little city children, will oft times gather around you if you are waiting for a streetcar, or looking into a shop window. They will take your hand and ask you about the Scottsboro boys, or if you like the Soviet Union and are going to stay forever. Sometimes as you pass a group of children playing, they will stop and exclaim, "Negro!" But in wonder and surprise a long ways from the insulting derision of the word "Nigger" in the mouths of America's white children. Here, the youth in the schools are taught to respect all races.”
Source: Good Morning, Revolution: Uncollected Social Protest Writings
“Even if a child knows better, a child should be spoken to with loving respect to assist them to learn.”
Source: The Flower of Heaven: Opening the Divine Heart Through Conscious Friendship & Love Activism