--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s deeply damaging to portray fit…" description: "\"“It’s deeply damaging to portray fit, fully-formed adults as children who need to be protected. We should be raising them to understand that there will..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd4/chris-bird-28658_children_it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-full_2581964.jpg" --- # It’s deeply damaging to portray fit, fully-formed adults… ![“It’s deeply damaging to portray fit, fully-formed adults as children who need to be protected. We should be raising them to understand that there will be moments in life when you need to protect yourself — and, in a ‘horrible’ world, there may come moments when you have to choose between…” quote by Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd4/chris-bird-28658_children_it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-full_2581964.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd4/chris-bird-28658_children_it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-full_2581964.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd4/chris-bird-28658_children_it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-full_2581964.jpg) > ““It’s deeply damaging to portray fit, fully-formed adults as children who need to be protected. We should be raising them to understand that there will be moments in life when you need to protect yourself — and, in a ‘horrible’ world, there may come moments when you have to choose between protecting yourself or others,” Steyn wrote.”” [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Portraying adults as children needing protection harms them; they must learn self‑protection and sometimes choose between protecting themselves or others. **In simple terms:** Adults need to learn self‑defense and tough choices. Key Takeaway Teach self‑reliance and ethical decision‑making. Themes autonomy ethics protection Mood thoughtful challenging Type societal philosophical When to use this quote - workplace training - parenting - educational curricula - self‑defense classes Key Concepts self‑defense moral dilemmas socialization Questions to Reflect On - When have you had to protect yourself over others? - How can societies foster healthy self‑protection? A Different Perspective Overprotective cultures can impede growth; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Moments In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [Only the small secrets need to be protected. The large ones are kept secret by public incredulity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/only-the-small-secrets-need-to-be-protected-the-large-ones-are-kept/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [I am a strong believer that intellectual property rights need to be protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-oberweis/i-am-a-strong-believer-that-intellectual-property-rights-need-to-be/) [Jim Oberweis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-oberweis/) > [“The point is that everyone needs some exposure to the various ways of life. People buy things out of catalogues too much. They see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-alexander/the-point-is-that-everyone-needs-some-exposure-to-the-various-ways-of/) Arthur Alexander > [Everything is to protect you. I exist in case you need to be protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/everything-is-to-protect-you-i-exist-in-case-you-need-to-be-protected/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Children are bad enough--children are rude, selfish, greedy, and unthinking individuals who are unable to distinguish between their own selfish wants and needs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-sansom/children-are-bad-enough-children-are-rude-selfish-greedy-and/) [Ian Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-sansom/) > [Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children, and by children to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-szasz/happiness-is-an-imaginary-condition-formerly-attributed-by-the-living/) [Thomas Szasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-szasz/) > [“Now there are adults without children who go to Disney, and they are called weirdos. Very nice people. Absolutely crazy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/now-there-are-adults-without-children-who-go-to-disney-and-they-are/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“In the process of helping children prepare to minister and in doing ministry together, important relationships can develop between child and adult. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-stonehouse/in-the-process-of-helping-children-prepare-to-minister-and-in-doing/) [Catherine Stonehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-stonehouse/) > [It is healthier, in any case, to write for the adults one's children will become than for the children one's 'mature' critics often are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/it-is-healthier-in-any-case-to-write-for-the-adults-one-s-children/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Children use all their wiles to get their way with adults. Adults do the same with children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/children-use-all-their-wiles-to-get-their-way-with-adults-adults-do/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Teaching children is important for adults as well as children. As we tell children the stories of the faith, talk with them about God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-stonehouse/teaching-children-is-important-for-adults-as-well-as-children-as-we/) [Catherine Stonehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-stonehouse/) > [“Disney archivist Dave Smith said, "Disneyland's true appeal, we admit now, is to adults. Children don't need it. Their imaginations are enough. For them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-gennawey/disney-archivist-dave-smith-said-disneyland-s-true-appeal-we-admit/) Sam Gennawey > [Why do we have to grow up? I know more adults who have the children's approach to life. They're people who don't give a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/why-do-we-have-to-grow-up-i-know-more-adults-who-have-the-children-s/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [“From what I can tell, the chief distinguishing factor between children and adults is that children hear everything while appearing not to and adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mccauley/from-what-i-can-tell-the-chief-distinguishing-factor-between-children/) [Stephen McCauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mccauley/) > [This is what happens when you are on the wrong side of 40. Young adults, who could be your children, are now working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/this-is-what-happens-when-you-are-on-the-wrong-side-of-40-young/) [Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/) ## More by Chris Bird > [“seventy-six-year-old Professor Liviu Librescu, but he was from a different generation. He sacrificed himself by holding the door while ordering his students to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/seventy-six-year-old-professor-liviu-librescu-but-he-was-from-a/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“More than ever, we ordinary civilians are the foot soldiers in the war on terrorism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/more-than-ever-we-ordinary-civilians-are-the-foot-soldiers-in-the-war/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“A gun-free zone is not even a consideration; all it does is it restricts law-abiding citizens. It doesn’t do a darn thing for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/a-gun-free-zone-is-not-even-a-consideration-all-it-does-is-it/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“I would want it to be learned that basically to do something. Hiding or sitting back is not going to accomplish anything. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/i-would-want-it-to-be-learned-that-basically-to-do-something-hiding/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“Immediate action taken by personnel who are on-site when the shooting starts is the most effective way to stop the killing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/immediate-action-taken-by-personnel-who-are-on-site-when-the-shooting/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“2,794 news stories about the incident. However, not one mentioned that the shooting had occurred in a “gun-free zone.” “Surely, with all the reporters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/2-794-news-stories-about-the-incident-however-not-one-mentioned-that/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/victory-at-all-costs-victory-in-spite-of-all-terror-victory-however/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“I read somewhere there’s a list of things that you do, and one of them is that you attack the attacker. He can’t shoot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/i-read-somewhere-there-s-a-list-of-things-that-you-do-and-one-of-them/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“The biggest problem with gun-free zones is that they aren’t free of guns. They are the places of choice for killers and terrorists to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/the-biggest-problem-with-gun-free-zones-is-that-they-aren-t-free-of/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“first responders are usually not the law-enforcement officers or the paramedics that follow them, but the ordinary citizens who happen to be on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/first-responders-are-usually-not-the-law-enforcement-officers-or-the/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“When trying to persuade a school board to endorse the program, three is the critical number, said Irvine. “If you get one person going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/when-trying-to-persuade-a-school-board-to-endorse-the-program-three/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. And even if your state allows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/it-is-better-to-have-it-and-not-need-it-than-to-need-it-and-not-have-2/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“Pay attention to everything going on around you. When you put your gun on in the morning, it should be like turning on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/pay-attention-to-everything-going-on-around-you-when-you-put-your-gun/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“The most frequent use of a gun in self-defense is when an ordinary citizen feels threatened by a human predator and produces a gun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/the-most-frequent-use-of-a-gun-in-self-defense-is-when-an-ordinary/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) > [“victim-resolved incidents result in far fewer fatalities than shooter-resolved incidents. Additionally, police-resolved shootings produce more casualties than victim-resolved shootings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/victim-resolved-incidents-result-in-far-fewer-fatalities-than-shooter/) [Chris Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) [Explore all 19 Chris Bird quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s deeply damaging to portray fit, fully-formed adults as children who need to be protected. We should be raising them to understand that there will be moments in life when you need to protect yourself — and, in a ‘horrible’ world, there may come moments when you have to choose between protecting yourself or others,” Steyn wrote.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Bird" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-fully-formed-adults-as-children/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-fully-formed-adults-as-children/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd4/chris-bird-28658_children_it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-full_2581964.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd4/chris-bird-28658_children_it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-full_2581964.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd4/chris-bird-28658_children_it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-full_2581964.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It’s deeply damaging to portray fit, fully-formed adults as children who need to be protected. We should be…” — Chris Bird", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chris Bird", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bird/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It’s deeply damaging to portray fit,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-fully-formed-adults-as-children/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bird/it-s-deeply-damaging-to-portray-fit-fully-formed-adults-as-children/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```