"Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"
About this Quote
A king’s advice about parenting is never just about parenting; it’s about social order. “Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” carries the calm certainty of a ruler who knows that the future of a kingdom is built less by laws than by habits installed early enough to feel like nature. The line doesn’t plead or persuade. It pronounces. That rhetorical confidence is the point: if you can make virtue (or loyalty, or obedience) feel inevitable, you don’t need constant enforcement.
The verb “train” is doing blunt work. It suggests discipline, repetition, a shaping of instincts, not a one-time moral lecture. “In the way that he should go” sounds personal, almost bespoke, but it also smuggles in a larger claim: there is a correct path, and the adults in charge are entitled to define it. In a royal context, that “should” conveniently aligns private family formation with public stability; raising children becomes a civic project.
The second half is the payoff and the sales pitch. “When he is old, he will not depart from it” functions as both promise and warning. Promise: invest now and you’ll get a predictable adult later. Warning: neglect the early years and you’re gambling with permanence. It’s also a subtle endorsement of tradition over reinvention: the ideal life is one that stays on its tracks.
As Proverbs, the line reads like practical wisdom, but its subtext is power-aware. It treats character as infrastructure, installed early, meant to last, and politically useful precisely because it feels personal rather than imposed.
The verb “train” is doing blunt work. It suggests discipline, repetition, a shaping of instincts, not a one-time moral lecture. “In the way that he should go” sounds personal, almost bespoke, but it also smuggles in a larger claim: there is a correct path, and the adults in charge are entitled to define it. In a royal context, that “should” conveniently aligns private family formation with public stability; raising children becomes a civic project.
The second half is the payoff and the sales pitch. “When he is old, he will not depart from it” functions as both promise and warning. Promise: invest now and you’ll get a predictable adult later. Warning: neglect the early years and you’re gambling with permanence. It’s also a subtle endorsement of tradition over reinvention: the ideal life is one that stays on its tracks.
As Proverbs, the line reads like practical wisdom, but its subtext is power-aware. It treats character as infrastructure, installed early, meant to last, and politically useful precisely because it feels personal rather than imposed.
Quote Details
| Topic | Parenting |
|---|---|
| Source | Proverbs 22:6 (King James Version; traditionally attributed to King Solomon): "Train up a child in the way that he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." |
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