What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
Parentage is a very important profession, but no test of fitness for it is ever imposed in the interest of the children.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Parenting is crucial yet lacks formal standards to determine who should be a parent.
George Bernard Shaw emphasizes the significance of parenting as a profession that shapes the future generation, yet highlights the absence of any formal assessments to gauge an individual's suitability for this vital role. This raises important questions about societal norms and the responsibilities that come with parenthood, suggesting that the well-being of children may be compromised by unfit parenting.
Themes
ParentingChildrenResponsibilityFitnessProfession
In practice
Example use cases
During a parenting workshop discussing standards for raising children.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
George Bernard ShawRead
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