--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We don’t become adults when we start…" description: "\"“We don’t become adults when we start making love, we become adults when we stop playing”\" — Ela Crain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/ela-crain-21420_art-making_we-don-t-become-adults-when-we-start-mak_1557202.jpg" --- # We don’t become adults when we start making love, we… ![“We don’t become adults when we start making love, we become adults when we stop playing” quote by Ela Crain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/ela-crain-21420_art-making_we-don-t-become-adults-when-we-start-mak_1557202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/ela-crain-21420_art-making_we-don-t-become-adults-when-we-start-mak_1557202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4e/ela-crain-21420_art-making_we-don-t-become-adults-when-we-start-mak_1557202.jpg) > ““We don’t become adults when we start making love, we become adults when we stop playing”” [Ela Crain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ela-crain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Maturity is measured by letting go of childish play, not by sexual activity. **In simple terms:** Adults grow by ending playfulness. Key Takeaway Embrace responsibility over frivolity. Themes maturity responsibility growth Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - career decisions - parenting - personal growth Key Concepts psychology developmental stages Questions to Reflect On - When did you last feel truly adult? - How does play affect your seriousness? A Different Perspective Adults may still need play for creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Art making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-making/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) ## Related quotes > [Parents and Adults, STOP demanding from children what you have not yet become!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rey-mellomida/parents-and-adults-stop-demanding-from-children-what-you-have-not-yet/) [Rey Mellomida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rey-mellomida/) > [You spend your childhood wanting to get out from your house and wanting to get away and out into the real world, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyck-godfrey/you-spend-your-childhood-wanting-to-get-out-from-your-house-and/) [Wyck Godfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyck-godfrey/) > [Gay adults start as gay kids... Now they've got to figure out how to be with each other and be with family, friends, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-paige/gay-adults-start-as-gay-kids-now-they-ve-got-to-figure-out-how-to-be/) [Peter Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-paige/) > [If you want to be treated like adults then start acting like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cera/if-you-want-to-be-treated-like-adults-then-start-acting-like-them/) [Michael Cera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cera/) > [ Children are much less annoying \[than adults\] and they never start trends. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/children-are-much-less-annoying-than-adults-and-they-never-start/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Such movies are always a danger...falling in love is something most adults have actually experienced...The theme is universal and encourages...unhealthy comparisons...why can't our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/such-movies-are-always-a-danger-falling-in-love-is-something-most/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I am sure you will agree that all children deserve time, attention, and love from the adults in their lives. These basic qualities are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-middleton/i-am-sure-you-will-agree-that-all-children-deserve-time-attention-and/) [Kate Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-middleton/) > [We can know what love is. It´s adults who have forgotten, so they cling to their poor substitute and yell at kids who dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/we-can-know-what-love-is-it-s-adults-who-have-forgotten-so-they-cling-2/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [“I think that we approach the problem of romantic love all wrong when we start with the questions: why do so many relationships fail?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/i-think-that-we-approach-the-problem-of-romantic-love-all-wrong-when/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [“We can know what love is. 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Her face was hot and tight and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-rundell/why-didn-t-she-keep-looking-my-darling-because-she-is-an-adult-sophie/) [Katherine Rundell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-rundell/) > [Love between two adults is always conditional. You can fall out of love because you are able to fall in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/love-between-two-adults-is-always-conditional-you-can-fall-out-of/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [To the question, ‘Is the cinema an art?’ my answer is, ‘what does it matter?’... 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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. 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Anders Ericsson > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [On the one hand, we had great filmic spectacles that brought in big audiences, adults as well as primary and secondary school students. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/on-the-one-hand-we-had-great-filmic-spectacles-that-brought-in-big/) [Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/) > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [When I was a child at sixteen, I was just a child. All sixteen year-olds are just children. 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