Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.
Eleanor RooseveltRead
Our children should learn the general framework of their government and then they should know where they come in contact with the government, where it touches their daily lives and where their influence is exerted on the government. It must not be a distant thing, someone else's business, but they must see how every cog in the wheel of a democracy is important and bears its share of responsibility for the smooth running of the entire machine.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Children must understand their role in democracy and how government affects their lives.
Eleanor Roosevelt emphasizes the importance of educating children about their government and its workings. She believes that young minds should grasp both the framework of governance and their individual roles within it. By making government relatable, she argues that children will appreciate their impact and responsibilities in a democratic society, dispelling the notion that politics is distant or irrelevant to them.
Themes
GovernmentDemocracyEducationChildrenResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
In a school assembly discussing civic responsibility, a teacher can quote this to inspire students.
More from Eleanor Roosevelt
All quotes →Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
Eleanor RooseveltRead
You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
Eleanor RooseveltRead
It takes courage to love, but pain through love is the purifying fire which those who love generously know.
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I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do.
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Work is always an antidote to depression.
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