Monday, January 19, 2009

Childhood is Reason's Sleep

Excerpt from Emile

"Respect childhood, and do not hurry to judge it, either for good or for ill. Let the exceptional children show themselves, be proved, and be confirmed for a long time before you get involved with acting in its place, lest you impede its operations. You know, you say, the value of time and do not want to waste any of it? You do not see that using time badly wastes time far more than doing nothing with it and that a badly instructed child is farther from wisdom than one who as not been instructed at all. You are alarmed to see him consume his early years in doing nothing. What? Is it nothing to be happy? Is it nothing to jump, play and run all day? He will never be so busy in his life...Therefore, do not be overly frightened by this alleged idleness. What would you say of a man who, on order to profit from his while life, never wanted to sleep? You would day, 'That man is crazy; he does not gain time for his joy; he deprives himself of it. To flee sleep, he races toward death.' Be aware, then, that we have here the same thing and that childhood is reason's sleep."

3 comments:

Eyes_Wide_Open said...

Amen. Another quotable quote from that book.

Mainely Me said...

I am really enjoying these quotes.Thanks, Jodi.

Sheri said...

I see some more fun in the future, boys!!!