--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He hated it when adults told him he only…" description: "\"He hated it when adults told him he only felt the way he did because he was young. As if being young was like being insane or drunk, like the convictio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/cory-doctorow-1928_adults_he-hated-it-when-adults-told-him-he-only_756491.jpg" --- # He hated it when adults told him he only felt the way he… ![“He hated it when adults told him he only felt the way he did because he was young. As if being young was like being insane or drunk, like the convictions he held were hallucinations caused by a mental illness that could only be cured by waiting five years.” quote by Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/cory-doctorow-1928_adults_he-hated-it-when-adults-told-him-he-only_756491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/cory-doctorow-1928_adults_he-hated-it-when-adults-told-him-he-only_756491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/cory-doctorow-1928_adults_he-hated-it-when-adults-told-him-he-only_756491.jpg) > “He hated it when adults told him he only felt the way he did because he was young. As if being young was like being insane or drunk, like the convictions he held were hallucinations caused by a mental illness that could only be cured by waiting five years.” [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adults often dismiss youthful perspectives as immature, equating them with irrationality, which undermines genuine insight. **In simple terms:** Adults dismiss youth as irrational. Key Takeaway Recognize and value youthful insights. Themes youth perspective authority misunderstanding Mood frustrated reflective Type critical observational When to use this quote - education - family discussions - workplace mentorship - policy making Key Concepts generational bias empathy cognitive development Questions to Reflect On - How can we better integrate young voices? - What assumptions do we make about age and wisdom? A Different Perspective Youthful views can be naive or uninformed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Caused Mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caused-mental-747434/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Hallucinations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hallucinations/) [Hallucinations Caused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hallucinations-caused-5874789/) [Hated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hated/) [Hated Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hated-adults-5874787/) [Held Hallucinations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held-hallucinations-5874788/) [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Insane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insane/) [Like Insane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-insane-654446/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [Success or failure in business is caused more by the mental attitude more than by mental capacities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-walter-scott/success-or-failure-in-business-is-caused-more-by-the-mental-attitude/) [Sir Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-walter-scott/) > [I suspect the psychological pressure associated with that crisis caused the first mental blackout I had ever suffered. It contributed to a deterioration in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamisese-mara/i-suspect-the-psychological-pressure-associated-with-that-crisis/) [Kamisese Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamisese-mara/) > [Success or failure in business is caused more by the mental attitude even than by mental capacities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/success-or-failure-in-business-is-caused-more-by-the-mental-attitude-2/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [Theories that diseases are caused by mental states and can be cured by will power, are always an index of how much is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/theories-that-diseases-are-caused-by-mental-states-and-can-be-cured/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“Taking DHEA caused a mental awakening in me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/taking-dhea-caused-a-mental-awakening-in-me/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Theories that diseases are caused by mental states and can be cured by will power are always an index of how much is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/theories-that-diseases-are-caused-by-mental-states-and-can-be-cured-2/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [I'm, like, the most insane Wes Anderson fan - his films are pretty much my inner landscapes. I just love him to pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/i-m-like-the-most-insane-wes-anderson-fan-his-films-are-pretty-much/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [We're not all thin model types, and we're not all perfectly colored. It mind-boggles me that somebody would take time out of their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-jauregui/we-re-not-all-thin-model-types-and-we-re-not-all-perfectly-colored-it/) [Lauren Jauregui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-jauregui/) > [She didn't quite know what the relationship was between lunatics and the moon, but it must be a strong one, if they used a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-quite-know-what-the-relationship-was-between-lunatics-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“It may have seemed like an insane thing to do at the time, but somehow...staying in New York would have been even crazier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-tuccillo/it-may-have-seemed-like-an-insane-thing-to-do-at-the-time-but-somehow/) [Liz Tuccillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-tuccillo/) > [“And I kept thinking, over and over, is this what it feels like to go insane?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/and-i-kept-thinking-over-and-over-is-this-what-it-feels-like-to-go/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [I like being insane, because I do not want to be sane like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/i-like-being-insane-because-i-do-not-want-to-be-sane-like-everyone/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [When you're the only sane person, you look like the only insane person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/when-you-re-the-only-sane-person-you-look-like-the-only-insane-person/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I can't imagine being as famous as he is and what that must be like, It must be insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-can-t-imagine-being-as-famous-as-he-is-and-what-that-must-be-like/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [Find a guy who doesn't care if u laugh loudly, chew with your mouth open, sing off key,cry at the movies, or act like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/find-a-guy-who-doesn-t-care-if-u-laugh-loudly-chew-with-your-mouth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Cory Doctorow > [“For me -- for pretty much every writer -- the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/for-me-for-pretty-much-every-writer-the-big-problem-isn-t-piracy-it-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“Kurt smiled a shy smile. "You're just trying to cheer me up," he said. "Course I am," Andy said. "You deserve to be full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/kurt-smiled-a-shy-smile-you-re-just-trying-to-cheer-me-up-he-said/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [The other one I did was 'I, Robot.' I take apart Isaac Asimov's Robots world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-other-one-i-did-was-i-robot-i-take-apart-isaac-asimov-s-robots/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“When in problem, or in doubt, run in cirles, scream and shout”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/when-in-problem-or-in-doubt-run-in-cirles-scream-and-shout/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“the problem with reading off a screen isn’t resolution, eyestrain, or compatibility with reading in the bathtub: it’s that computers are seductive, they tempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-problem-with-reading-off-a-screen-isn-t-resolution-eyestrain-or/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-m-17-years-old-i-m-not-a-straight-a-student-or-anything-even-so-i/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“Anything invented before you were eighteen was there all along. Anything invented before you’re thirty is exciting and will change the world forever. Anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/anything-invented-before-you-were-eighteen-was-there-all-along/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Novels for me are how I find out what's going on in my own head. And so that's a really useful and indeed critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/novels-for-me-are-how-i-find-out-what-s-going-on-in-my-own-head-and/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“It’s our version of Christian guilt—it’s impious to feel good about your piety. You have to want to be good, but not feel good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-our-version-of-christian-guilt-it-s-impious-to-feel-good-about/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [The important thing about security systems isn’t how they work, it’s how they fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-important-thing-about-security-systems-isn-t-how-they-work-it-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/this-is-why-i-loved-technology-if-you-used-it-right-it-could-give-you/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Funny, for all surveillance, Osama bin Laden is still free—and we're not. Guess who's winning the "war on terror?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/funny-for-all-surveillance-osama-bin-laden-is-still-free-and-we-re/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I had this really great amazing thing happen where I almost finished the book and I really needed to come up with an ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-had-this-really-great-amazing-thing-happen-where-i-almost-finished/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [It's the stupid questions that have some of the most surprising and interesting answers. Most people never think to ask the stupid questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-the-stupid-questions-that-have-some-of-the-most-surprising-and/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) [Explore all 195 Cory Doctorow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) ## More Adults 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/) > [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/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) [K. 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