--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're a kid, you have this feeling…" description: "\"When you're a kid, you have this feeling like you're indestructible. Your mortality doesn't even occur to you. But as time goes by, you realize, 'I bet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/david-johansen-16212_cutting_when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling_2303731.jpg" --- # When you're a kid, you have this feeling like you're… ![“When you're a kid, you have this feeling like you're indestructible. Your mortality doesn't even occur to you. But as time goes by, you realize, 'I better cut this out or that out if I want to continue to exist.” quote by David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/david-johansen-16212_cutting_when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling_2303731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/david-johansen-16212_cutting_when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling_2303731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/david-johansen-16212_cutting_when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling_2303731.jpg) > “When you're a kid, you have this feeling like you're indestructible. Your mortality doesn't even occur to you. But as time goes by, you realize, 'I better cut this out or that out if I want to continue to exist.” [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Childhood feels invincible, but adulthood brings awareness of mortality and the need to edit one's life for survival. **In simple terms:** Youth feels indestructible; age brings limits. Key Takeaway Accept mortality and make conscious life choices. Themes mortality self‑reflection growth Mood introspective motivational Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - health decisions - relationship boundaries Key Concepts existentialism psychology self‑care Questions to Reflect On - What habits will you cut? - How does mortality awareness shape your goals? A Different Perspective Denial of mortality can hinder proactive change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Feeling Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-like/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Indestructible Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indestructible-mortality-5451480/) [Kid Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid-feeling-1542440/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Like Indestructible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-indestructible-3705611/) [Like you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-you/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time goes by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-goes-by/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [In your 20s, you feel like you're indestructible...In your 30s, you think...I'll be around here a little longer, so I'm going to take better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-belushi/in-your-20s-you-feel-like-you-re-indestructible-in-your-30s-you-think/) [John Belushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-belushi/) > [Tommy Hearns seemed like an indestructible machine, so to beat him, I think that was my defining moment, the pinnacle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-leonard/tommy-hearns-seemed-like-an-indestructible-machine-so-to-beat-him-i/) [Sugar Ray Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-leonard/) > [I ain't no saint, but I've tried never to do anything that would hurt my family or offend God...I figure all any kid needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ain-t-no-saint-but-i-ve-tried-never-to-do-anything-that-would-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I remember being a kid and always feeling a little different than all my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-metz/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-always-feeling-a-little-different-than-all/) [Chrissy Metz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-metz/) > [This could very easily be taken out of context, and I think it's funny now, but I remember looking in the mirror as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/this-could-very-easily-be-taken-out-of-context-and-i-think-it-s-funny/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Laws gain their authority from actual possession and custom: it is perilous to go back to their origins; laws, like our rivers, get greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/laws-gain-their-authority-from-actual-possession-and-custom-it-is/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Time goes by so fast. Nothin' can outrun it. Death commences too early--almost before you're half-acquainted with life--you meet the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/time-goes-by-so-fast-nothin-can-outrun-it-death-commences-too-early/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [There comes a point in your life when you realize how quickly time goes by, and how quickly it has gone. Then it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/there-comes-a-point-in-your-life-when-you-realize-how-quickly-time/) [Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/) > [The 2001 tour to Australia would have been a great highlight in my career if the Lions had won the series. That might sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-o-driscoll/the-2001-tour-to-australia-would-have-been-a-great-highlight-in-my/) [Brian O'Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-o-driscoll/) > [When that much time goes by, you're really listening to your old music differently. At the time it's written, it was the beginning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/when-that-much-time-goes-by-you-re-really-listening-to-your-old-music/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) > [I'm gonna live my life. I won't watch the time go by. I won't keep it inside. Freak out, let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/i-m-gonna-live-my-life-i-won-t-watch-the-time-go-by-i-won-t-keep-it/) [Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/) > [I bought a piano once because I had the dream of playing As Time Goes By as some girl's leaning on it drinking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-bought-a-piano-once-because-i-had-the-dream-of-playing-as-time-goes/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [I look at my first books and am glad they weren't published… You start writing by imitating your heroes, then you keep the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/i-look-at-my-first-books-and-am-glad-they-weren-t-published-you-start/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [It's a wonderful thing as time goes by, to be with someone who looks into your face when you've gotten old and still sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-as-time-goes-by-to-be-with-someone-who-looks/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) ## More by David Johansen > [I've been tired since I was 15.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/i-ve-been-tired-since-i-was-15/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [The first Latin music that blew my mind was bumba, which was a Puerto Rican beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/the-first-latin-music-that-blew-my-mind-was-bumba-which-was-a-puerto/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [You know when you read that someone has to leave a show or a tour because they had 'nervous exhaustion'? Well, I had one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/you-know-when-you-read-that-someone-has-to-leave-a-show-or-a-tour/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [I'm not impersonating anybody. I'm perfectly satisfied with what I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/i-m-not-impersonating-anybody-i-m-perfectly-satisfied-with-what-i-am/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [You try things on in life. You wear them for a while, and you see what's next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/you-try-things-on-in-life-you-wear-them-for-a-while-and-you-see-what/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [I think we as a band, as individuals, understand that all popular music stems from blues and jazz and even pop, but rock 'n'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/i-think-we-as-a-band-as-individuals-understand-that-all-popular-music/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [When I'm sleeping I do a lot of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/when-i-m-sleeping-i-do-a-lot-of-living/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [We thought that's the way you were supposed to be if you were in a rock 'n' roll band. Flamboyant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/we-thought-that-s-the-way-you-were-supposed-to-be-if-you-were-in-a/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [Everything I've done I've just fallen into.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/everything-i-ve-done-i-ve-just-fallen-into/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [There's so much negative bullshit being forced down people's throats in the marketplace, we really wanted to create a thing of beauty that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/there-s-so-much-negative-bullshit-being-forced-down-people-s-throats/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [I don't really like to sit around the house listening to my own records. They're not that good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/i-don-t-really-like-to-sit-around-the-house-listening-to-my-own/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [The world today is the same as it always was but people know more about what's going on in the world than they used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/the-world-today-is-the-same-as-it-always-was-but-people-know-more/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [Playing music is the best thing in the world. It makes show business almost bearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/playing-music-is-the-best-thing-in-the-world-it-makes-show-business/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [Most bands are commercial enterprises. But I'm not in one of those bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/most-bands-are-commercial-enterprises-but-i-m-not-in-one-of-those/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [Sometimes when I hear my voice on tape, I'm like, 'Who is that horrible man?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/sometimes-when-i-hear-my-voice-on-tape-i-m-like-who-is-that-horrible/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) [Explore all 40 David Johansen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) ## More Cutting quotes > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I didn't understand Southland Tales script at all! Is there a single word to describe it? Cacophony? It's celebrity meets pornography meets politics -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/i-didn-t-understand-southland-tales-script-at-all-is-there-a-single/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [The nineteenth century lynching mob cuts off ears, toes, and fingers, strips off flesh, and distributes portions of the body as souvenirs among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-b-wells/the-nineteenth-century-lynching-mob-cuts-off-ears-toes-and-fingers/) [Ida B. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-b-wells/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [ We have no clear ideas of the agency of \[demonic\] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of-demonic-spirits-nor-is-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [God holds each of us by a string. When we sin, we cut the string. But God ties it up again, making a knot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meister-eckhart/god-holds-each-of-us-by-a-string-when-we-sin-we-cut-the-string-but/) [Meister Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meister-eckhart/) > [What's the difference between obsolete and cutting edge? Obsolete works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/what-s-the-difference-between-obsolete-and-cutting-edge-obsolete-works/) [Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) [Browse all 6,010 Cutting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you're a kid, you have this feeling like you're indestructible. Your mortality doesn't even occur to you. But as time goes by, you realize, 'I better cut this out or that out if I want to continue to exist.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Johansen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling-like-you-re-indestructible/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cutting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling-like-you-re-indestructible/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/david-johansen-16212_cutting_when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling_2303731.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/david-johansen-16212_cutting_when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling_2303731.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/david-johansen-16212_cutting_when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling_2303731.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you're a kid, you have this feeling like you're indestructible. Your mortality doesn't even occur to…” — David Johansen", "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": "David Johansen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you're a kid, you have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling-like-you-re-indestructible/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-this-feeling-like-you-re-indestructible/#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 } } ] } ```