--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, I should have known the kids…" description: "\"“Of course, I should have known the kids would pop out in the atmosphere of Roberta's office. That's what they do when Alice is under stress. They see ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/alice-jamieson-21585_alter-personalities_of-course-i-should-have-known-the-kids-w_639730.jpg" --- # Of course, I should have known the kids would pop out in… ![“Of course, I should have known the kids would pop out in the atmosphere of Roberta's office. That's what they do when Alice is under stress. They see a gap in the space-time continuum and slip through like beams of light through a prism changing form and direction. We had got into the habit in…” quote by Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/alice-jamieson-21585_alter-personalities_of-course-i-should-have-known-the-kids-w_639730.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/alice-jamieson-21585_alter-personalities_of-course-i-should-have-known-the-kids-w_639730.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/alice-jamieson-21585_alter-personalities_of-course-i-should-have-known-the-kids-w_639730.jpg) > ““Of course, I should have known the kids would pop out in the atmosphere of Roberta's office. That's what they do when Alice is under stress. They see a gap in the space-time continuum and slip through like beams of light through a prism changing form and direction. We had got into the habit in recent weeks of starting our sessions with that marble and stick game called Ker-Plunk, which Billy liked. There were times when I caught myself entering the office with a teddy that Samuel had taken from the toy cupboard outside. Roberta told me that on a couple of occasions I had shot her with the plastic gun and once, as Samuel, I had climbed down from the high-tech chairs, rolled into a ball in the corner and just cried. 'This is embarrassing,' I admitted. 'It doesn't have to be.' 'It doesn't have to be, but it is,' I said. The thing is. I never knew when the 'others' were going to come out. I only discovered that one had been out when I lost time or found myself in the midst of some wacky occupation — finger-painting like a five-year-old, cutting my arms, wandering from shops with unwanted, unpaid-for clutter. In her reserved way, Roberta described the kids as an elaborate defence mechanism. As a child, I had blocked out my memories in order not to dwell on anything painful or uncertain. Even as a teenager, I had allowed the bizarre and terrifying to seem normal because the alternative would have upset the fiction of my loving little nuclear family. I made a mental note to look up defence mechanisms, something we had touched on in psychology.”” [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A narrator recounts chaotic, stress‑induced episodes where children appear as manifestations of inner turmoil, using surreal imagery and metaphor. **In simple terms:** Stress can create vivid, disruptive mental scenes. Key Takeaway Recognize stress triggers and seek grounding. Themes stress psychology defence mechanisms surrealism Mood anxious introspective Type narrative psychological When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative writing - mindfulness practice - stress management Key Concepts cognitive dissonance coping strategies inner child Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify your own ‘others’ during stress? - What grounding techniques help you stay present? A Different Perspective The surreal tone may obscure practical coping advice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alice Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alice-stress-5138710/) [Alter-personalities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alter-personalities/) [Alters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alters/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Defence mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defence-mechanism/) [Dissociation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissociation/) [Dissociative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissociative/) [Dissociative-identity-disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissociative-identity-disorder/) [Embarrassment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassment/) [Gaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gaze/) [Lost time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-time/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Multiple personality disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multiple-personality-disorder/) [Outside Roberta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-roberta-5138713/) [Psychologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologist/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Roberta Described](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roberta-described-5138711/) [Roberta Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roberta-office-5138712/) [Roberta Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roberta-told-5138709/) [Self-stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-stigma-166785/) [Split personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/split-personality/) [Stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stigma/) [Therapist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapist/) [Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapy/) ## Related quotes > [“In reviewing his own moral career, the stigmatized individual may single out and retrospectively elaborate experiences which serve for him to account for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/in-reviewing-his-own-moral-career-the-stigmatized-individual-may/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [“self-stigma is not a person's fault; nor is it a part of the person's illness! 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Roberta told me that on a couple of occasions I had shot her with the plastic gun and once, as Samuel, I had climbed down from the high-tech chairs, rolled into a ball in the corner and just cried. 'This is embarrassing,' I admitted. 'It doesn't have to be.' 'It doesn't have to be, but it is,' I said. The thing is. I never knew when the 'others' were going to come out. I only discovered that one had been out when I lost time or found myself in the midst of some wacky occupation — finger-painting like a five-year-old, cutting my arms, wandering from shops with unwanted, unpaid-for clutter. In her reserved way, Roberta described the kids as an elaborate defence mechanism. As a child, I had blocked out my memories in order not to dwell on anything painful or uncertain. Even as a teenager, I had allowed the bizarre and terrifying to seem normal because the alternative would have upset the fiction of my loving little nuclear family. 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