Alison Gopnik quote: "Childhood is a fundamental part of all human lives, parents or not, since that's how we all start out. And yet babies and young children are so mysterious and puzzling and even paradoxical."

Samuel Johnson called it the vanity of human wishes, and Buddhists talk about the endless cycle of d...
ALISON GOPNIK

The brain is highly structured, but it is also extremely flexible. It's not a blank slate, but i...
ALISON GOPNIK

What we want in students is creativity and a willingness to fail. I always say to students, 'If ...
ALISON GOPNIK

What happens when children reach puberty earlier and adulthood later? The answer is: a good deal of ...
ALISON GOPNIK

Young children seem to be learning who to share this toy with and figure out how it works, while ado...
ALISON GOPNIK

The youngest children have a great capacity for empathy and altruism. There's a recent study tha...
ALISON GOPNIK

We have lots of evidence that putting investments in early childhood education, even evidence from v...
ALISON GOPNIK

If parents are the fixed stars in the child's universe, the vaguely understood, distant but cons...
ALISON GOPNIK

What makes knowledge automatic is what gets you to Carnegie Hall - practice, practice, practice.
ALISON GOPNIK

If you just casually look at a baby, it doesn't look like there's very much going on there, ...
ALISON GOPNIK

Asking questions is what brains were born to do, at least when we were young children. For young chi...
ALISON GOPNIK

On the Web we all become small-town visitors lost in the big city.
ALISON GOPNIK

For better or worse, we live in possible worlds as much as actual ones. We are cursed by that charac...
ALISON GOPNIK

Animals are certainly more sophisticated than we used to think. And we shouldn't lump together a...
ALISON GOPNIK

Putting together philosophy and children would have been difficult for most of history. But very for...
ALISON GOPNIK

I'm afraid the parenting advice to come out of developmental psychology is very boring: pay atte...
ALISON GOPNIK

Like most parents, I think, my children have been the source of some of my most intense joys and des...
ALISON GOPNIK

Teaching is a very effective way to get children to learn something specific - this tube squeaks, sa...
ALISON GOPNIK

I wanted to answer big questions about humanity, about how it is that we understand about the world,...
ALISON GOPNIK

Scientists and philosophers tend to treat knowledge, imagination and love as if they were all very s...
ALISON GOPNIK

The radio was an improvement on the telegraph but it didn't have the same exponential, transform...
ALISON GOPNIK

The brain knows the real secret of seduction, more effective than even music and martinis. Just keep...
ALISON GOPNIK

We learn differently as children than as adults. For grown-ups, learning a new skill is painful, att...
ALISON GOPNIK

From an evolutionary perspective children are, literally, designed to learn. Childhood is a special ...
ALISON GOPNIK

One of the things I say is from an evolutionary point of view: probably the ideal rich environment f...
ALISON GOPNIK

Imagine if baseball were taught the way science is taught in most inner-city schools. Schoolchildren...
ALISON GOPNIK

Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species, and w...
ALISON GOPNIK

When nobody read, dyslexia wasn't a problem. When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic varia...
ALISON GOPNIK

Each new generation of children grows up in the new environment its parents have created, and each g...
ALISON GOPNIK

Being a developmental psychologist didn't make me any better at dealing with my own children, no...
ALISON GOPNIK

I've had three of my own children and spent my professional life thinking about children. And ye...
ALISON GOPNIK

What, of course, we want in a university is for people to learn the skills they're going to need...
ALISON GOPNIK

Our babies are like penguins; penguin babies can't exist unless more than one person is taking c...
ALISON GOPNIK

Imaginary friends are one of the weirder forms of pretend play in childhood. But the research shows ...
ALISON GOPNIK

Texts and e-mails travel no faster than phone calls and telegrams, and their content isn't neces...
ALISON GOPNIK

Historically, absolute IQ scores have risen substantially as we've changed our environment so th...
ALISON GOPNIK

Scientists learn about the world in three ways: They analyze statistical patterns in the data, they ...
ALISON GOPNIK

Cooking is the showy side of domesticity.
ADAM GOPNIK

I think that we're always drawn - particularly sophisticated people - are always drawn to the id...
ADAM GOPNIK

In the New Yorker library, I have long been shelved between Nadine Gordimer and Brendan Gill; an eer...
ADAM GOPNIK

In bookstores, my stuff is usually filed in the out-of-the-way, additional interest sections.
ADAM GOPNIK

I rush to add that I find the Web infinitely useful for rustling up information, settling arguments ...
ADAM GOPNIK

All tastes have the quality of being in some way artificial and invented. The secret of life is to h...
ADAM GOPNIK

Protein was the most valued ingredient 250 years ago: It was the rarest thing. Now the rarest thing ...
ADAM GOPNIK

I still think the best classic meal in New York is a coffee-shop breakfast - you sort of can't s...
ADAM GOPNIK

You can't have a decent food culture without a decent coffee culture: the two things grow up tog...
ADAM GOPNIK

The coffee shop is a great New York institution, but it has terrible coffee. And the more traditiona...
ADAM GOPNIK

There are as many attitudes to cooking as there are people cooking, of course, but I do think that c...
ADAM GOPNIK

Writing is the process of finding something to distract you from writing, and of all the helpful dis...
ADAM GOPNIK

The World Series is played in my doubtless too-nostalgic imagination in some kind of autumn afternoo...
ADAM GOPNIK

Going to a restaurant is one of my keenest pleasures. Meeting someplace with old and new friends, or...
ADAM GOPNIK

[T]he relentless note of incipient hysteria, the invitation to panic, the ungrounded scenarios--the ...
ADAM GOPNIK

We breathe in our first language, and swim in our second.
ADAM GOPNIK

Yet human intelligence has another force, too: the sense of urgency that gives human smarts their dr...
ADAM GOPNIK

American long for a closed society in which everything can be bought, where laborers are either hidd...
ADAM GOPNIK

Good editorial writing has less to do with winning an argument, since the other side is mostly not l...
ADAM GOPNIK

[A]s military history reveals, a bad plan is often better than no plan, especially if the people on ...
ADAM GOPNIK

You know, for most of its life bluegrass has had this stigma of being all straw hats and hay bales a...
ALISON KRAUSS

If you think about it, I was at college, and then three months later, I was a massive pop star. It&#...
ALISON MOYET

Within three months I had gone from being this black sheep of the town to suddenly becoming a pop st...
ALISON MOYET

Generally, if a good script comes in I read it, and if it appeals to me, it appeals to me. And it do...
ALISON DOODY

I'd like to take more pictures of real celebrities. It would be fabulous to photograph Brad Pitt...
ALISON JACKSON

Being the boss anywhere is lonely. Being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially so.
ALISON GOMME

Fly high... Where the only chill that cuts through you is the wind. Where your heart pounds from exh...
VIRGINIA ALISON

Where we're located, we're kind of far away from opportunities and activities that might be offered ...
ALISON VINCENT

The other part of the program features things the children haven't been exposed to at home or within...
ALISON VINCENT

With some parents' work schedules, some children might be here at the school for 11 hours.
ALISON VINCENT

The bottom line is that it's for the kids and the parents so they can all have the best experience p...
ALISON VINCENT

Dog cases cause such severe neighbor problems. The dog cases, they get so contentious.
ALISON TATE

Well, I care. If you don't do this, you could die.
ALISON TATE

It's a good thing he didn't touch me. I would have decked him.
ALISON TATE

He's not even close to ready. He is going to lose everything he's gained this far . . . . To show hi...
ALISON TATE

It's hard whenever we lose an animal.
ALISON SWANK

Their counterparts in the wild are out in the weather, too.
ALISON SWANK

We think the overriding cause of her death was something other than drowning.
ALISON SWANK

One of the two suspicions is that there was an indirect lightning strike which may have caused the z...
ALISON SWANK

We're unsure how many are down there.
ALISON SWANK

We do have quite a few people stopping by offering condolences.
ALISON SWANK

The group putting this together was looking for a hurdle that would be doable within the time span, ...
ALISON SMITH

It helps that we know the drugs so we can input it faster.
ALISON SMITH

We saw it as a unique opportunity to use our knowledge to make this run smoothly.
ALISON SMITH

Today, the landscape has changed dramatically.
ALISON SMITH

It sends $3 of your tax money that you already pay into the fund. It sends a message that Maine peop...
ALISON SMITH

We're all going to miss Jack.
ALISON SMITH

In both fours, we viewed the race as an opportunity to work on our race plan against a fast opponent...
ALISON REYNOLDS

There's no evidence to suggest that cooling relations has dampened business.
ALISON REYNOLDS

Many people have used the argument that opening up trade leads to political reform and social reform...
ALISON REYNOLDS

The Tibetan people will not be satisfied until there is political change which will give them genuin...
ALISON REYNOLDS

The police have promised not to do that again and we will demonstrate at every point in this visit.
ALISON REYNOLDS

What we would like to see is Tony Blair making a public statement of concern over these issues.
ALISON REYNOLDS

I'm hearing these words about renewal of the ecumenical movement, but I'm looking for a tangible fra...
ALISON PRESTON

Tracy was frustrated at the start of the season. She wasn't scoring and the links were which wasn't ...
ALISON PRESTON

Annie was frustrated in the preseason but she's steadily improved and has seven goals.
ALISON PRESTON

Everyone was upset when Mackenzie went down. When she came back, their level of play went back up. S...
ALISON PRESTON

Pequannock's only lost two games, both to Madison, so they're obviously a good team.
ALISON PRESTON

When we played Roxbury in the first round, we found out the final would be on our field. It's exciti...
ALISON PRESTON

We've got no superstars but they're getting the job done.
ALISON PRESTON

Kids who commit serious crimes shouldn't go scot-free. But if they are too young to vote or buy ciga...
ALISON PARKER

Frankly, from a human rights perspective, that raises concerns,
ALISON PARKER

We're asking for a recognition that these are child offenders and they should have access to parole ...
ALISON PARKER

For example, Georgia rarely sentences children to life without parole, but it has youth crimes rates...
ALISON PARKER

This would bring us in line with the rest of the world and make the US act in accordance with human-...
ALISON PARKER

[Human rights advocates say that the use of juvenile life without parole, or LWOP, is by one measure...
ALISON PARKER

The big thing was we knew Claudia wasn't going to be able to move that well?[She] really gutted it o...
ALISON OJEDA

We had chance after chance and you only get so many opportunities and we didn't convert.
ALISON OJEDA

As long as we have confidence going into our matches, we have a great shot at winning some of those ...
ALISON OJEDA

Winning sure makes everything more exciting. I thought we played very well. We've been stressing eve...
ALISON OJEDA

As long as these girls have someone to lead them, they will go above and beyond what they are suppos...
ALISON OJEDA

We played in those tournaments to prepare us for the spring, and I think we will be well prepared wh...
ALISON OJEDA

We'll get a lot more eyes on these photos. Our mission was never to keep them in a box.
ALISON NORDSTROM

These are instructions in desire. It's a staged, idealized vision of a perfectly happy household.
ALISON NORDSTROM

I suspect that Rothstein was looking for an opportunity to show the dignity of African Americans, ev...
ALISON NORDSTROM

The Office of War Information asked Parks to provide inspirational photos to support the war effort....
ALISON NORDSTROM

He consciously tried to preserve aspects of old Paris. For example, he didn't shoot the Eiffel Tower...
ALISON NORDSTROM

I was writing and I have three kids. I was occupying my time with them but it was difficult.
ALISON MOYET

I was a single parent, and I was prohibited from working.
ALISON MOYET

I love singing in French. I don't think in French. Sometimes when you sing in another language becau...
ALISON MOYET

I have never had another job and I don't have a mortgage.
ALISON MOYET

I have never done any other job. I have sung in bands since I was 15. I left school completely unqua...
ALISON MOYET

I had been with the label since I was 21. The label wanted shiny pop but I didn't. I found a little ...
ALISON MOYET

I chose not to work. It was one of those sticky things that happen in people's careers when you have...
ALISON MOYET

I came from a small town and at school in one class there was me, a member from Depeche Mode and som...
ALISON MOYET

As you get older, your windows of opportunity close. I needed to make a record once and for all that...
ALISON MOYET

As I was growing up, French was the language in the house, so when I started school there were lots ...
ALISON MOYET

It's always a good thing to have places to go and things to do.
ALISON MORANO

Destinations with a capital D.
ALISON MORANO

The major goal is going to be, they will never say the Democratic Executive Committee wasn't there f...
ALISON MORANO

You'll see more of us in the media. You'll see more of us at events. You'll see more position statem...
ALISON MORANO

This is just the beginning. We are very pleased.
ALISON MARQUISS

We're working on a campaign for the next season and we're also executing on the remediation plan to ...
ALISON MARQUISS

If there were something that were shutting down companies, of course it is vital that our company co...
ALISON MARQUISS

I think with these projections the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] will be in a good po...
ALISON MARQUISS

We're approaching the finish line and look forward to providing vaccine for people to get vaccinated...
ALISON MARQUISS

It's an ongoing process.
ALISON MARQUISS

Our third-quarter earnings report is October 25, so we hope to have a more concrete number then, or ...
ALISON MARQUISS

The [FDA] release yesterday was the last regulatory step.
ALISON MARQUISS

[Full FDA clearance has not yet been achieved, but] there are no regulatory hurdles except supplemen...
ALISON MARQUISS

Truth and Consequences
ALISON LURIE

We can lie in the language of dress or try to tell the truth; but unless we are naked and bald, it i...
ALISON LURIE

As one went to Europe to see the living past, so one must visit Southern California to observe the f...
ALISON LURIE

There is a peculiar burning odor in the room, like explosives. the kitchen fills with smoke and the ...
ALISON LURIE

I mean, I like to think of myself as being strong and independent, but I definitely wasn't like that...
ALISON LOHMAN

I mean, God, I'm so lucky right now with the opportunities that I've had. There's nothing to worry a...
ALISON LOHMAN

I like to take a character and develop it.
ALISON LOHMAN

We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things that have bad consequences. But ...
ALISON CROGGON

Being the boss anywhere is lonely. Being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially so.
ALISON GOMME

It is not given to us to know what difference we can make, and perhaps we can make no difference at ...
ALISON CROGGON

It is only the darkness in our own hearts that will defeat us, in the end.
ALISON CROGGON

There is no shame in not knowing something. The shame is in not being willing to learn.
ALISON CROGGON

While the heart beats, hope lingers.
ALISON CROGGON

Love is one of the true mysteries,' he said at last. 'The truest and the deepest of all. One thing, ...
ALISON CROGGON

My homosexuality remained at that point purely theoretical, an untested hypothesis. But it was a hyp...
ALISON BECHDEL

The writer's business is to find the shape in unruly life and to serve her story. Not, you may note,...
ALISON BECHDEL

My father once nearly came to blows with a female dinner guest about whether a particular patch of e...
ALISON BECHDEL

What would happen if we spoke the truth?
ALISON BECHDEL

In this pause, I suddenly saw something very clearly.

Whatever it was I wanted from my m...
ALISON BECHDEL

It was not a triumphal return. Home, as I had known it, was gone.
ALISON BECHDEL

Grief takes many forms, including the absence of grief.
ALISON BECHDEL

It was a vicious cycle, though. The more gratification we found in our own geniuses, the more isolat...
ALISON BECHDEL

I have always loved a hard-faced girl. I get that Alison Goldfrapp isn't easy, and I like her be...
ALISON MOYET

I was always an odd girl; I managed to alienate a lot of people. I felt like a square peg in a round...
ALISON MOYET

I wasn't good at being affable. You get beyond that and realise the attraction in any human bein...
ALISON MOYET

I think my cat is adorable, and I probably give it too much fresh chicken. Maybe if I had a child, I...
ALISON GOLDFRAPP

Spinning has been such an amazing part of my exercise. I love the music, the energy, and the sweat. ...
ALISON SWEENEY

If you're going to saute something, lightly spray olive oil in the pan or on veggies before you ...
ALISON SWEENEY

I'm addicted to a really tough workout. I like to be drenched in sweat when I'm done because...
ALISON SWEENEY

A wedding, people decide to get married, it comes out of such love for one another and then women ca...
ALISON BRIE

I recommend that people try new stuff or take new fitness classes all the time. It's important t...
ALISON SWEENEY

Fitness is not an option. It's part of my job.
ALISON SWEENEY

I'll have wine or a piece of cake once in a while, but I don't look at it as sliding backwar...
ALISON SWEENEY

I was definitely one of those people who fell for the fat-free cookies and chips that are loaded wit...
ALISON SWEENEY

When I saw contestants fighting for their lives on 'The Biggest Loser,' I realized I just wa...
ALISON SWEENEY

I eat a lot of fruit after I run. I find that hydrates me better than just drinking water. I have fr...
ALISON SWEENEY

I have two beautiful children and my husband. The perfect day for me is just to be with them and hav...
ALISON SWEENEY

I battled with my weight as a teenager, partly because there wasn't the information or conversat...
ALISON SWEENEY

I've met so many fans of daytime television who've watched the shows with their moms and gra...
ALISON SWEENEY

It's funny because I'm a sucker for glitz and glitter when it comes to clothes and nail poli...
ALISON SWEENEY

The number one mistake is giving pets table scraps. I made the mistake thinking I was showing my dog...
ALISON SWEENEY

I save my dreams and hopes for my kids. When I'm making a wish under a bridge or tunnel, it'...
ALISON SWEENEY

People think, 'Oh, I'm loving myself by sitting on this sofa for four hours.' Love yours...
ALISON SWEENEY

With reality TV, sometimes it's amazing chemistry and you get these gems that turn out to be eve...
ALISON SWEENEY

I wasn't eating the right kinds of calories. I didn't know about healthy carbs such as brown...
ALISON SWEENEY

I always cringe when people tell me they don't eat breakfast, as though that's a good thing....
ALISON SWEENEY

Sunscreen is my number 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 tip. I'm a fanatic, partially because I live in L.A. an...
ALISON SWEENEY

One of the things I like best about 'Biggest Loser' is being around people who are trying to...
ALISON SWEENEY

My husband and I have known each other since kindergarten. I had a crush on him in school, but we ne...
ALISON SWEENEY

Because Bin Laden's culture doesn't permit the worship of images, they understand how powerf...
ALISON JACKSON

I do a lot of cardio. I think it's super important, especially for women. I don't have a tre...
ALISON SWEENEY

I'm not satirical in a traditional way. What I do is more about creating caricatures and cartoon...
ALISON JACKSON

Honestly, my favorite kind of dancing is just lettin' loose. There's something great about t...
ALISON BRIE

I found power in accepting the truth of who I am. It may not be a truth that others can accept, but ...
ALISON GOODMAN

I just want to act. I just want to do the work.
ALISON LOHMAN

I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with the idea of being famous.
ALISON LOHMAN

I don't know... I don't want people to know everything about me.
ALISON LOHMAN

I did musicals from about age 10 to 18.
ALISON LOHMAN

For Astrid, no matter what challenges they go through, they are going to face each other. It's hard ...
ALISON LOHMAN

But, you know, it really depends on the character. Age doesn't really matter.
ALISON LOHMAN

But you're not necessarily ever going to be handed a script where you can say: it's all done and per...
ALISON LOHMAN

The competition was Coke vs. Pepsi 10 years ago. Our business has evolved over the past 10 years, an...
ALISON LEWIS

Childhood is a fundamental part of all human lives, parents or not, since that's how we all start out. And yet babies and young children are so mysterious and puzzling and even paradoxical.

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Alison Gopnik

Childhood is a fundamental part of all human lives, parents or not, since that's how we all start out. And yet babies and young children are so mysterious and puzzling and even paradoxical.

Alison Gopnik

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