"What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult"

Sigmund Freud's quote talks to the huge difference between the intelligence of a kid and the intelligence of an adult. He is recommending that the intelligence of a kid is much higher than that of an adult. This is a traumatic contrast, as it implies that grownups are not living up to their full potential. Freud is most likely describing the reality that kids are naturally curious and eager to discover, while grownups often end up being complacent and stagnant in their thinking. He is recommending that grownups need to make every effort to maintain the same level of intelligence and interest for learning that children have. This quote functions as a pointer that grownups must never ever stop learning and growing, and that they must aim to preserve the very same level of intelligence that they had as children.