Western people ask me whether it is a paradox that I am King but support democracy. I have to tell them that in Thailand, the King is the guarantor of democracy.
Bhumibol AdulyadejRead
My mother praised me when I did something good, and then the next moment, she would say, 'Don't float.' She put me in a balloon and then pricked it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A mother balances praise and humility in a child's life.
This quote reflects the duality of a mother's love and guidance. While she acknowledges and praises her child's achievements, she simultaneously seeks to instill humility and groundedness, reminding her child not to become complacent or overly proud. The metaphor of being in a balloon that is both inflated and then pricked encapsulates the delicate balance of encouragement and the need for self-awareness.
Themes
MotherPraiseHumilityGuidanceBalance
In practice
Example use cases
A motivational speech about the importance of staying humble after success.
More from Bhumibol Adulyadej
All quotes βPeople get angry at others who express a different opinion, while, in fact, they should be angry at themselves. But we must be angry at ourselves the most when we say something today, only to say something else tomorrow.
Bhumibol AdulyadejRead
They say that a kingdom is like a pyramid: the king on top and the people below. But in this country, it's upside down.
Bhumibol AdulyadejRead
Similar quotes
My mom used to get arrested for being with my dad. She would get fined. She would spend weekends in jail.
Trevor NoahRead
All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.
Abraham LincolnRead
To be the father of a nation is a great honor, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy.
Nelson MandelaRead
Momma was home. She was the most totally human, human being that I have ever known, and so very beautiful. Within our home, she was an abundance of love, discipline, fun, affection, strength, tenderness, encouragement, understanding, inspiration, support.
Leontyne PriceRead
Children are a battle of a different sort. ... A battle without banners or warhorns but no less fierce.
George R. R. MartinRead
Perhaps the best function of parenthood is to teach the young creature to love with safety, so that it may be able to venture unafraid when later emotion comes; the thwarting of the instinct to love is the root of all sorrow and not sex only but divinity itself is insulted when it is repressed. To disapprove, to condemn the human soul shrivels under barren righteousness.
Freya StarkRead