“I have also seen children successfully surmounting the effects of an evil inheritance. That is due to purity being an inherent attribute of the soul.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Attributed to Gandhi in 'The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi' (ch. Children) and to 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth' (1929); a variant reads 'always seen ... effect of evil inheritance'.
About this quote
No one is doomed by the home they came from. Children raised amid cruelty or dishonesty can still turn out gentle and honest, because something in a person can rise above what was handed down. Inheritance sets the starting point, not the destination.
When to use it
- A person raised in a violent household who becomes a patient, gentle parent.
- Someone from a family of heavy drinkers who chooses to stay sober for life.
- A child surrounded by cheating and cut corners who grows into a scrupulously honest adult.