Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? Instead they demand How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
In "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the narrative reflects on how adults prioritize quantitative information over qualitative aspects of relationships. When a child shares that they've made a new friend, grown-ups immediately focus on data like age and weight, disregarding the more profound and essential details that characterize a person, such as interests and personality. This tendency highlights a disconnect between the innocence of childhood and the often superficial concerns of adulthood.
This perspective emphasizes the values that children hold dear, like emotional connections and shared experiences. Unlike adults, children are more inclined to explore the essence of a relationship, seeking to understand what truly makes someone unique. This critique of adult perception reveals a broader commentary on society's obsession with metrics and figures, suggesting that they can obscure the more meaningful aspects of human interactions and understanding.
