Punishment may make us obey the orders we are given, but at best it will only teach an obedience to authority, not a self-control which enhances our …

- Bruno Bettelheim

For those who immerse themselves in what the fairy tale has to communicate, it becomes a deep, quiet pool which at first seems to reflect only our ow…

- Bruno Bettelheim

Play permits the child to resolve in symbolic form unsolved problems of the past and to cope directly or symbolically with present concerns. It is al…

- Bruno Bettelheim

Fairy tales are loved by the child not because the imagery he finds in them conforms to what goes on within him, but because--despite all the angry, …

- Bruno Bettelheim

The child intuitively comprehends that although these stories are unreal, they are not untrue.

- Bruno Bettelheim

Among the most valuable but least appreciated experiences parenthood can provide are the opportunities it offers for exploring, reliving, and resolvi…

- Bruno Bettelheim

Although we like to think of young children's lives as free of troubles, they are in fact filled with disappointment and frustration. Children wish f…

- Bruno Bettelheim

You can't teach children to be good. The best you can do for your child is to live a good life yourself. What a parent knows and believes, the child …

- Bruno Bettelheim

If we hope to live not just from moment to moment, but in true consciousness of our existence, then our greatest need and most difficult achievement …

- Bruno Bettelheim