The Wisdom of Children: Lessons from Ruby Bridges

When six-year-old Ruby Bridges faced violent protests while desegregating a New Orleans school in 1960, psychiatrist Robert Coles asked a revolutionary question: What is this child thinking? Their conversations revealed astonishing moral clarity—Ruby prayed for her tormentors, saying, "Don’t you think they need feeling sorry for?"

Coles, a Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize winner, spent decades studying how children develop moral intelligence. His work shows that morality isn’t abstract—it’s the core of human connection.

What Is Moral Intelligence?

Coles identified three critical forms of intelligence:
1. Intellectual (problem-solving, logic)
2. Emotional (self-awareness, empathy)
3. Moral (ethical decision-making, compassion)

"Morality defines our very nature," he argued. "It’s how we respond to others—and earn their care in return."

How Children Learn Morality

Key findings from Coles’ research:
- Actions speak louder than words: Kids adopt values by observing behavior, not lectures.
- Stories shape ethics: Literature (like Tolstoy or Dr. Seuss) helps children explore why people act as they do.
- Crisis reveals character: Children in hardships (war, poverty) often show profound ethical insights.

Moral Leadership in Everyday Life

Coles worked with icons like MLK Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, but believed leadership starts at home:
- Example over instruction: Parents must model integrity.
- Small moments matter: A question ("Why steal?") can spark moral reflection.
- Service builds empathy: Volunteering—like Coles’ literacy teaching—fosters connection.

Why Morality Matters Today

In an era of division, Coles’ message endures:
- Hope through action: "Gloom denies the possibility of change."
- Global intimacy demands ethics: Technology connects us—but we need moral responses to crises.

As Coles wrote: "The point of stories isn’t solutions, but broadening our struggles." His work invites us to listen—to children, to history, and to our better selves.

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Robert Coles: Child Psychiatrist & Moral Visionary