'Show me the boy at 7 years old and I will show you the man’?

Question

so say the jeruits...any ideas what it means??

Answer 1

I was told a similar phrase when I went to religious school..."Give us a child until he's five years old, and he'll be ours for life." In other words, a child's ideas are being heavily formulated during their early years. Regardless of their potential departure from those ideas later in life, there will always be a remnant of those early formative ideas lingering in the child's brain. Never mind that many decades may have passed. Those ideas will still often be found in the subconscious mind and will continue to exert an influence. By the time a child has reached the age of five, and certainly by age seven, certain ideas and behaviors are already psychologically ingrained and well-established.

Answer 2

Well, I guess if the little foot soldiers of the Pope said it, then it must be true. Personally, I don't find that a true statement but it isn't the first time, I have disagreed with the Catholic Church. I don't feel that a boy or girl for that matter, is mentally develped enough to tell very much about how they will turn out at the age of seven. Can you tell if a boy will be a serial killer or a Preacher at 7? I doubt it.

Answer 3

I would have to see more of the text of which you are refering..but so far I think it could mean two things:
Traditional sense -A boy starts true religious training at the age of seven, hundreds of years ago when this was written, and emerged a man when he was done. Possibly in the sense of physicality - grown up male, or in the spiritual sense "Spiritual Man" - knowledgeable about his religion.

Gnostic -which I don't think really applies to this, but it could depending on the date of the text - Spiritual Man, just like above, one devout in his faith and practices. Or in the gnostic sense that souls come down from heaven and inhabit physical bodies. Since this is the case, children have been closer to God more recently and the knowledge of the sphere he inhabits, so they know more about it than an adult who has been away from God longer...does that make sense? Its hard to explain that one in short writings.

Answer 4

It means that the first 7 tears of life are very formative as far as habits and personality go. So if you raise a child to be respectful, curteous, and responsible; or selfish, whiny, and mean, that way will be pretty much set in them by the time they are 7. It can be changed, it just will take some work.

Answer 5

Codswallop.

The man I am at 50 is not the man I was at 40, nor the man I was at 30 and certainly not the boy I was at 7. All the same people, but all very different people, too.

More mind control bull$hit, I think.

Answer 6

Myeh.

At the age of 7, I was an introvert and a bookworm... who was overwhelmed by the world around me. Mostly because the rest of my family are extroverts.

22 years later, and I am the extrovert. I am gregarious and have become the dominant personality (not only in my family, but also amongst my friends).

Answer 7

Imasis2 got it - peronality & behavior at age 7 is pretty much how males will be as adults - thankfully for women, we are not too lazy to continue growing, learning, and maturing past the age of 7.

Answer 8

It means that if the catholic church can have the child until age 7, they'll have him for life. It actually goes more like that.



Sending you a smile to help pick up your day.

Answer 9

Ask Michael Jackson.

Answer 10

I take that to mean that men never grow up.