A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on.

Sandburg’s aphorism frames childbirth as a metaphysical endorsement of continuity: the arrival of a baby is treated not merely as a biological event but as a sign that existence is worth renewing. By attributing the sentiment to “God’s opinion,” the line borrows religious language to express a broadly humanist reassurance—amid hardship, loss, or historical upheaval, new life functions as evidence of persistence and hope. The quote’s compact wit also reflects Sandburg’s tendency to elevate ordinary American experience into emblem and proverb, turning a domestic scene into a statement about the endurance of life itself.

“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.”