If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
Having children is something we think we ought to do because our parents did it, but when it is over the children are just other members of the human race, rather disappointingly.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the ambivalence surrounding parenthood and the realization that children, while significant, are ultimately individuals in a larger society.
John Updike's quote captures a cynical perspective on parenthood, suggesting that the decision to have children can feel more like a societal obligation than a fulfilling personal choice. It highlights the idea that, despite the hopes and expectations placed on children, they ultimately grow into individual members of society, which may not align with the romanticized vision many parents hold.
Themes
ParenthoodChildrenExpectationsSocietyAmbivalence
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about societal pressures to start a family, this quote can highlight the complexities of such a decision.
More from John Updike
All quotes →Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. _x000D_ _x000D_ Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings.
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Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
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The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
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To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
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