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My childhood began, as everybody's childhood begins, with prejudices. Man finds prejudices beside his cradle, puts them from him a little in the course of his career, and often, alas! takes to them again in his old age.
Victor Hugo
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on how prejudices are ingrained in us from childhood and how we may shed them only to return to them later in life.

Victor Hugo's quote suggests that prejudices are a fundamental part of the human experience, starting from early childhood. He emphasizes that while we may initially reject these biases as we grow, it is common for individuals to revert to them in their later years, highlighting the challenge of overcoming ingrained beliefs and the cyclical nature of human thought.

Themes

PrejudiceChildhoodBeliefsHuman NatureBias

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech about overcoming social biases.

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