--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wondered to what extent people remained…" description: "\"I wondered to what extent people remained the same as they'd been when very young; if one peeled back the layers of living one would come to the know c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a23/dick-francis-13976_back_i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remaine_1493037.jpg" --- # I wondered to what extent people remained the same as… ![“I wondered to what extent people remained the same as they'd been when very young; if one peeled back the layers of living one would come to the know child.” quote by Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a23/dick-francis-13976_back_i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remaine_1493037.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a23/dick-francis-13976_back_i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remaine_1493037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a23/dick-francis-13976_back_i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remaine_1493037.jpg) > “I wondered to what extent people remained the same as they'd been when very young; if one peeled back the layers of living one would come to the know child.” [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People retain their core childlike nature beneath adult layers; uncovering it reveals true self. **In simple terms:** Adults keep a child inside; uncovering reveals true self. Key Takeaway Reflect on your inner child for authenticity. Themes identity growth self‑discovery Mood nostalgic introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - journaling - parenting - career transitions - creative projects Key Concepts psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - What childhood traits still influence you? - How can you nurture your inner child healthily? A Different Perspective Adults may resist confronting childish traits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [THE KNOWN CHILD I wondered to what extent people remained the same as they'd been when very young; if one peeled back the layers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/the-known-child-i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remained-the-same-as/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [A child is a life that has not gone too far away from the Creator. Know a child to know life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/a-child-is-a-life-that-has-not-gone-too-far-away-from-the-creator/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [So much of parenting is following your instincts, and taking the time to actually know your child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/so-much-of-parenting-is-following-your-instincts-and-taking-the-time/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [“If you want to know what your child is doing, look at their friends, they wouldn't be friends with them if they weren't doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catie-hartsfield/if-you-want-to-know-what-your-child-is-doing-look-at-their-friends/) Catie Hartsfield > [If you're a child, and you're on Broadway, you automatically know every other child in a production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadie-sink/if-you-re-a-child-and-you-re-on-broadway-you-automatically-know-every/) [Sadie Sink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadie-sink/) > [One thing they never tell you about child raising is that for the rest of your life, at the drop of a hat, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/one-thing-they-never-tell-you-about-child-raising-is-that-for-the/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [“You always know your child, even when your child doesn't know you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fink/you-always-know-your-child-even-when-your-child-doesn-t-know-you/) [Joseph Fink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fink/) > [Know you what it is to be a child? It is to be something very different from the man of to-day. It is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/know-you-what-it-is-to-be-a-child-it-is-to-be-something-very/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [I was born because it was a habit in those days, people didn't know anything else ... I was not a Child Prodigy, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-was-born-because-it-was-a-habit-in-those-days-people-didn-t-know/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“What can a single man know about child rearing?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/what-can-a-single-man-know-about-child-rearing/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [We all know how to be a child. It's inside all of us. For me, it's just remembering how to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/we-all-know-how-to-be-a-child-it-s-inside-all-of-us-for-me-it-s-just/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Children are smarter than any of us. Know how I know that? I don't know one child with a full time job and children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/children-are-smarter-than-any-of-us-know-how-i-know-that-i-don-t-know/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [It seems to me if you don't know anything about child development you shouldn't intimate in your 'reporting' that you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/it-seems-to-me-if-you-don-t-know-anything-about-child-development-you/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) > [We all know how to be a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/we-all-know-how-to-be-a-child/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Maybe getting to know a child wasn't entirely unlike meditation. You kept going at it from all different angles, and once in a while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-thompson/maybe-getting-to-know-a-child-wasn-t-entirely-unlike-meditation-you/) [Jean Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-thompson/) ## More by Dick Francis > [Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/historically-more-people-have-died-of-religion-than-cancer/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [I guessed life was like that. You gained and you lost, and if you saved anything from the ruins, even if only a shred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/i-guessed-life-was-like-that-you-gained-and-you-lost-and-if-you-saved/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“To be logical you have to dig up and face your own hidden motives and emotions, and of course they're hidden principally because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/to-be-logical-you-have-to-dig-up-and-face-your-own-hidden-motives-and/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [Some are born weird, some achieve it, others have weirdness thrust upon them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/some-are-born-weird-some-achieve-it-others-have-weirdness-thrust-upon/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“It's people with obsessions who do the real harm in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/it-s-people-with-obsessions-who-do-the-real-harm-in-the-world/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“She said several times that Malcolm was a fiend who was determined to destroy his children, and that I was the devil incarnate helping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/she-said-several-times-that-malcolm-was-a-fiend-who-was-determined-to/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“But what do you say if you're asked a direct question and you can't tell the truth and you can't tell a lie?' 'You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/but-what-do-you-say-if-you-re-asked-a-direct-question-and-you-can-t/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [The dignity of man was everywhere tissue-paper thin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/the-dignity-of-man-was-everywhere-tissue-paper-thin/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [Physics is the science of all the tremendously powerful invisibilities - of magnetism, electricity, gravity, light, sound, cosmic rays. Physics is the science of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/physics-is-the-science-of-all-the-tremendously-powerful/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“Gawd, he thought furiously, he hadn't expected it to be like this. Just a lousy walk down the yard to give a carrot to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/gawd-he-thought-furiously-he-hadn-t-expected-it-to-be-like-this-just/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“The bad scorn the good . . . and the crooked despise the straight." ~Greville”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/the-bad-scorn-the-good-and-the-crooked-despise-the-straight-greville/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“The house was dark. Upstairs, behind the black open window with the pale curtain flapping in the spartan air, slept Arthur Morrison, trainer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/the-house-was-dark-upstairs-behind-the-black-open-window-with-the/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“He gave me a last dark look, not admitting defeat,not giving an inch .I watched him with unexpected regret. Watched him until the consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/he-gave-me-a-last-dark-look-not-admitting-defeat-not-giving-an-inch-i/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“Mrs Palis­sey and I tend­ed to have the same con­ver­sa­tions over and over and slight­ly too of­ten. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/mrs-palis-sey-and-i-tend-ed-to-have-the-same-con-ver-sa-tions-over/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [Love's easy to learn. It's like taking a risk. You set your mind on it and refuse to be afraid, and in no time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/love-s-easy-to-learn-it-s-like-taking-a-risk-you-set-your-mind-on-it/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) [Explore all 48 Dick Francis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) ## More Back quotes > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I honestly would like to get that Frankie fight back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/i-honestly-would-like-to-get-that-frankie-fight-back/) [Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/) > [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/) [Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/) [George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/) > [I've always stuck my arms behind my back anyway when trying to block a shot in the penalty area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-ve-always-stuck-my-arms-behind-my-back-anyway-when-trying-to-block/) [Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/) > [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/) [Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/) > [Any time someone achieves success before they've earned it, it always comes back to haunt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/any-time-someone-achieves-success-before-they-ve-earned-it-it-always/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [We're all painfully aware of how suddenly violence can occur, how crippling it is, and how survivors have to find a way back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dini/we-re-all-painfully-aware-of-how-suddenly-violence-can-occur-how/) [Paul Dini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dini/) > [Ronaldo is just an athlete. He works so hard and back to back; he is always there. But if you work hard, can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/ronaldo-is-just-an-athlete-he-works-so-hard-and-back-to-back-he-is/) [Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) Browse all 9,709 Back quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wondered to what extent people remained the same as they'd been when very young; if one peeled back the layers of living one would come to the know child.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dick Francis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remained-the-same-as-they-d-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Back" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remained-the-same-as-they-d-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a23/dick-francis-13976_back_i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remaine_1493037.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a23/dick-francis-13976_back_i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remaine_1493037.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a23/dick-francis-13976_back_i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remaine_1493037.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wondered to what extent people remained the same as they'd been when very young; if one peeled back the…” — Dick Francis", "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": "Dick Francis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wondered to what extent people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remained-the-same-as-they-d-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/i-wondered-to-what-extent-people-remained-the-same-as-they-d-been/#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 } } ] } ```