Raising children is a creative endeavor, an art rather than a science.
Bruno BettelheimRead
What cannot be talked about cannot be put to rest. And if it is not, the wounds will fester from generation to generation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Unspoken issues can lead to enduring pain and unresolved conflicts across generations.
Bruno Bettelheim's quote emphasizes the importance of addressing and communicating about difficult topics. When issues are left unspoken, they do not simply disappear; instead, they can continue to cause emotional pain and unresolved conflicts that are passed down through generations, suggesting that open dialogue is essential for healing and resolution.
Themes
CommunicationHealingGenerationsWoundsConflict
In practice
Example use cases
In a therapy session discussing family dynamics.
More from Bruno Bettelheim
All quotes βThe delight we experience when we allow ourselves to respond to a fairy tale, the enchantment we feel, comes not from the psychological meaning of the tale (although this contributes to it) but from its literary qualities-the tale itself as a work of art.
Bruno BettelheimRead
The fear of failure is so great, it is no wonder that the desire to do right by one's children has led to a whole library of books offering advice on how to raise them
Bruno BettelheimRead
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 self-respect.
Bruno BettelheimRead
Not only is our love for our children sometimes tinged with annoyance, discouragement, and disappointment, the same is true for the love our children feel for us.
Bruno BettelheimRead
The ability to read becomes devalued when what one has learned to read adds nothing of importance to one's life.
Bruno BettelheimRead
Similar quotes
Sometimes legends make reality, and become more useful than the facts.
Salman RushdieRead
Stars, too, were time travelers. How many of these ancient points of light were the last echoes of suns now dead? How many had been born but their light not yet come this far? If all the suns but ours collapsed tonight, how many lifetimes would it take us to realize that we were alone? I had always known the sky was full of mysteries - but not until now had I realized how full of them the earth was.
Ransom RiggsRead
Every one interprets everything in terms of his own experience. If you say anything which does not touch a precisely similar spot in another man's brain, he either misunderstands you, or doesn't understand you at all.
Aleister CrowleyRead
The fourth (of the four cardinal virtues) is supportiveness: this manifests as service to others without expectation of reward. (Paraphrased: Such service is not a mere conforming to some external rule of behavior, but instead a manifestation of your original nature).
LaoziRead
A well governed appetite is the greater part of liberty.
Lucius Annaeus SenecaRead
When we don't like to face up to hard facts, we use soft words. We do not speak about killing a baby within the womb, but about "termination of potential life." Words are often multiplied to try to cover dark deeds.
Neal A. MaxwellRead