I am doomed to an eternity of compulsive work. No set goal achieved satisfies. Success only breeds a new goal. The golden apple devoured has seeds. It is endless.
Bette DavisRead
If you've never been hated by your child, you've never been a parent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Parenting involves making difficult decisions that may not always be appreciated by children.
This quote by Bette Davis highlights the complex and often challenging nature of parenting. It suggests that a parent must sometimes enforce rules or boundaries that may lead to temporary feelings of resentment or hatred from their child, pointing to the deep emotional involvement and sacrifices that come with raising a child. To be a parent often means to prioritize long-term well-being over immediate acceptance or affection, implying that experiencing hatred from your child can be an indication of effective parenting.
Themes
ParentingLoveSacrificeChildrenEmotions
In practice
Example use cases
Sharing this quote during a parenting seminar to discuss the challenges of raising children.
More from Bette Davis
All quotes βI have been uncompromising, peppery, intractable, monomaniacal, tactless, volatile, and oftentimes disagreeable... I suppose I'm larger than life.
Bette DavisRead
Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should all be bigger than life.
Bette DavisRead
Today everyone is a star - they're all billed as 'starring' or 'also starring'. In my day, we earned that recognition.
Bette DavisRead
Once the love bug wears off, as it inevitably does, you are shocked to discover that you really didn't know the object of your affections at all. We know this to be so, even as we repeat the same mistake over and over and over.
Bette DavisRead
If everybody likes you, you're pretty dull.
Bette DavisRead
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