I never had to learn English, French and German because I was

Hear the voice of Karl Lagerfeld, master of fashion and icon of culture, who once said: “I never had to learn English, French, and German because I was brought up as all three languages. I had a private French teacher before I even went to school. That helped a lot.” At first these words seem the simple recollection of a privileged childhood, yet within them lies a teaching for the ages: that to be shaped early by knowledge is to be armed with powers that few can rival, and that the gifts of youth echo through the whole of life.

The meaning of this statement reaches beyond the man himself. To be raised among languages is to be raised among worlds, for each tongue carries its own vision, its own rhythm, its own way of shaping thought. The child who hears many languages does not only speak differently—he thinks differently, he feels differently, he sees differently. For language is not merely sound, but the very garment of the mind, and to be clothed in many such garments is to possess the ability to walk in many worlds.

History gives us shining examples of this truth. Consider Alexander the Great, who was tutored by Aristotle. In his youth he absorbed not only Greek but also the tongues and customs of the peoples he would later conquer. This early immersion made him not only a warrior but a statesman, able to move among Persians, Egyptians, and Greeks with fluency of spirit. His command of diverse languages and cultures was a weapon as sharp as his sword, allowing him to unify an empire not merely by force, but by understanding.

So too in modern times, recall Nelson Mandela, who mastered not only the language of his own people but also that of his oppressors. In courtrooms and negotiations, he wielded both as tools of resistance and reconciliation. It was not enough to speak truth in one tongue; by learning the language of the other, he entered their world, softened their suspicion, and built the bridge to freedom. In this way, his command of language became a command of destiny itself.

From this we see the deeper origin of Lagerfeld’s words. His early exposure to English, French, and German was more than education—it was foundation. It was the well from which his creativity and cosmopolitan vision flowed. Fashion, after all, is its own kind of language, a way of communicating across boundaries. To think in three tongues was to think beyond borders, to design not for one people but for all. His life shows us that what is given in childhood becomes the stone upon which the edifice of a lifetime is built.

O children of tomorrow, learn from this: seize the years of youth, for they shape the rest of life. If you are young, fill your mind with languages, with music, with wisdom, with every tool that may serve you later. If you are older, do not despair, but still seek to learn, for every new tongue, every new skill, expands your world. Language is not only words—it is the key to empathy, to creativity, to connection. He who speaks only one tongue sees the world through one window; he who speaks many walks freely through many doors.

Therefore, let your practice be this: honor the gift of learning, and if you can, immerse yourself and your children in languages, for they sharpen thought and widen the heart. Read widely, listen deeply, practice daily, and you will find that with each word learned, another world opens. Do not see learning as labor alone, but as liberation. For as Lagerfeld declared, early learning “helped a lot”—and so it will for you, in every age, in every endeavor.

Thus the words of Karl Lagerfeld endure: “I never had to learn English, French, and German because I was brought up as all three languages.” From this we understand that the greatest inheritance is not wealth, but the gift of knowledge early planted. Give it freely, seek it constantly, and it shall carry you across borders, across cultures, across the very boundaries of your own spirit.