Caring for children has always been one of the deepest and most satisfying things that a human being does, and yet it is hard to keep a healthy attitude toward it in our competitive, outcome-oriented society.
Alison GopnikThe brain is highly structured, but it is also extremely flexible. It's not a blank slate, but it isn't written in stone, either.
Alison GopnikWhat teenagers want most of all are social rewards, especially the respect of their peers.
Alison GopnikThe largest and most powerful computers are still no match for the smallest and weakest humans.
Alison GopnikIf you just got enough expertise and enough special techniques and read up enough, then you could shape a child into the kind of adult you wanted. There's almost this kind of competitive enterprise. That picture is the picture I think people often imply when they use the word "parenting".
Alison Gopnik