Just as the twig is bent, the tree is inclined.
This proverb means that a person’s upbringing and early experiences shape their personality and character in the long term. It is used to suggest that a person’s childhood has a significant influence on their future behavior.
This tree looks like it had a rough time as a twig. Does it remind you of anyone? Unlike this poor tree, people can still change.
Absent any wind, once a rock or an arrow is launched, it will fly on the course set at the beginning. The biggest changes in the path it follows will be set at the very beginning.
Even things with guidance, like airplanes or rockets, start out in a particular direction. The longer they go in one direction, the more difficult it is to change the ultimate destination.
Ultimately, this quote is about children, and how they are raised. If they are raised “correctly,” they will do well in their society. If they are allowed to misbehave from the beginning, it will be much harder to correct their behavior later in life.
