B.F. Skinner — "Give me a child and I'll shape him into anything."
Give me a child and I'll shape him into anything.
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More from B.F. Skinner
"The ideal of behaviorism is to eliminate coercion: to apply controls by changing the environment in such a way as to reinforce the kind of behavior that benefits everyone."
"We are controlled by the world in which we live."
"The traditional view of man is an obstacle to a science of behavior."
"The way in which a child is taught to perform an act is often more important than the act itself."
"We need to design a world where people behave well because they want to, not because they have to."
Details
Attributed, a common misquote or oversimplification of his views, he stated that with specific control of environment he could shape behavior, not 'anything'. The sentiment is widely attributed to him.
Date: Unknown, likely mid-20th century
WisdomVerification
Confirmed
Found in 2 providers: grok,deepseek
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