APAD:as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined

移花接木 2024-02-13 05:26:19 ( reads)

as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined

Etymology

From the Epistles to Several Persons (1732): "'Tis education forms the common mind, Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined."

A person's formative experiences in youth influence their character during adulthood.

跟帖(10)

Agreed. e.g. like the 1st book one read that stays forever

Yes, the experiences during youth can indeed influence

one's adult personality.

My childhood public speaking experiences hav been helping me

2 be a good public speaker

help me speak Chinglish confidently～：）

Out of context, it applies to much more than youth education

Good to know about Pope's epistles, BTW.

animal ate human'd be shot to keep human out of their menu

Thanks for sharing. Happy Year of the Dragon!