If you feel dirty, insignificant or unloved, then rats are a good role model. They exist without permission, they have no respect for the hierarchy of society, and they have sex 50 times a day.
A lot of mothers will do anything for their children, except let them be themselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mothers often sacrifice their desires for their children, yet they may struggle to accept their children's individuality.
This quote by Banksy highlights the complex relationship between mothers and their children. While many mothers are willing to make great sacrifices and go to great lengths for their children’s welfare, they might simultaneously impose their own expectations and ideals, hindering their children's ability to fully express their unique identities. It calls into question the balance between nurturing and controlling, emphasizing the importance of allowing children to grow into their authentic selves.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a parenting workshop discussing the importance of accepting children's choices.
More from Banksy
All quotes →T.V. has made going to the theatre seem pointless, photography has pretty much killed painting but graffiti has remained gloriously unspoilt by progress.
I originally set out to try and save the world, but now I'm not sure I like it enough.
Graffiti ultimately wins out over proper art because it becomes part of your city, it' s a tool; "I'll meet you in that pub, you know, the one opposite that wall with a picture of a monkey holding a chainsaw". I mean, how much more useful can a painting be than that?
Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a f**king sharp knife to it.
Gaza is often described as 'the world's largest open air prison' because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons - they don’t have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost every day.
Similar quotes
I was ravenous for my child and took to gorging myself in the boneyard, hoping that she might possibly meet me halfway, or just beyond, one night, if only for an instant—step back into her own bare feet, onto the wet grass or fallen leaves or snowy ground of the living Enon, so that we could share just one last human word.
Parents, what are your children learning from your worship? Do they see the same excitement as when you go to a basketball game? Do they see you prepare for worship as you do for a vacation? Do they see you hungry to arrive, seeking the face of the Father? Or do they see you content to leave the way you came?.....They are watching. Believe me. They are watching.
I never had a lot of drive, but because I had family responsibilities, I had a lot of tenacity - the tenacity of a drowning man.
Making the family a top priority will invariably bring success.
At best the family teaches the finest things human beings can learn from one another generosity and love. But it is also, all too often, where we learn nasty things like hate, rage and shame.
I have a tendency to coddle my sons because I want to keep them safe, but I also want them to be strong and independent and curious and bold, and I worry that my coddling is going to have exactly the opposite effect.