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How did John Locke describe the human mind at birth?

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In his seminal work, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689), the English philosopher John Locke rejected the prevailing doctrine of innate ideas, which suggested that certain truths were imprinted on the mind at creation.12

Instead, Locke famously described the human mind at birth as resembling "white paper, void of all characters," a concept often associated with the term tabula rasa, or "blank slate". He argued that all "materials" of reason and knowledge are derived from experience, specifically through two sources:13

Sense experience: The mind’s reaction to the external world, such as sights, sounds, and tastes.12
Reflection: The mind's internal awareness of its own operations, such as thinking, feeling, or perceiving.12

Locke did not believe the mind was literally empty, as he acknowledged innate faculties like the power of reflection. However, he maintained that the mind possesses no pre-existing content, asserting that an idea cannot be considered "in the mind" until a person is conscious of it.12