--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were no longer, technically, children…" description: "\"“We were no longer, technically, children although in many ways I am quite sure that we were. Childish has become a term of contempt. \"Don't be childis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/ernest-hemingway-83_child_we-were-no-longer-technically-children-a_2309849.jpg" --- # We were no longer, technically, children although in many… ![“We were no longer, technically, children although in many ways I am quite sure that we were. Childish has become a term of contempt. "Don't be childish, darling." "I hope to Christ I am. Don't be childish yourself." It is possible to be grateful that no one that you would willingly associate with…” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/ernest-hemingway-83_child_we-were-no-longer-technically-children-a_2309849.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/ernest-hemingway-83_child_we-were-no-longer-technically-children-a_2309849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/ernest-hemingway-83_child_we-were-no-longer-technically-children-a_2309849.jpg) > ““We were no longer, technically, children although in many ways I am quite sure that we were. Childish has become a term of contempt. "Don't be childish, darling." "I hope to Christ I am. Don't be childish yourself." It is possible to be grateful that no one that you would willingly associate with you say, "Be mature. Be well-balanced, be well-adjusted." Africa, being as old as it is, makes all people except the professional invaders and spoilers into children. No one says to anyone in Africa, "Why don't you grow up?" . . . Men know that they are children in relation to the country and, as in armies, seniority and senility ride close together. But to have the heart of a child is not a disgrace. It is an honor. A man must comport himself as a man. . . . But it is never a reproach that he has kept a child's heart, a child's honesty and a child's freshness and nobility.”” [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mature adult can retain childlike honesty, freshness, and nobility without being immature. **In simple terms:** Childlike qualities can coexist with adult responsibility. Key Takeaway Embrace childlike honesty while acting responsibly. Themes maturity honesty innocence growth balance Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - leadership - parenting - personal development - counseling - team dynamics Key Concepts psychology human nature ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor a child’s heart in professional settings? - When does childlike honesty become a liability? A Different Perspective Childlike traits may be misinterpreted as weakness in strict hierarchies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Childish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childish/) [Childish Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childish-possible-5482049/) [Childish Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childish-term-5482048/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Say Mature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-mature-1190102/) [Sure Childish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-childish-5482050/) ## Related quotes > [Honestly if you have something to say to someone, be mature and say it instead of tweeting about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honestly-if-you-have-something-to-say-to-someone-be-mature-and-say-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say you're more mature because all of a sudden you have a child, but it's a process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/it-s-easy-to-say-you-re-more-mature-because-all-of-a-sudden-you-have/) [Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/) > [I don't like it when people who are young act like they're 40. That's taking too much on. Putting up a shield and trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-don-t-like-it-when-people-who-are-young-act-like-they-re-40-that-s/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Even when I think I'm writing really young, they say it's too mature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-weil/even-when-i-think-i-m-writing-really-young-they-say-it-s-too-mature/) [Cynthia Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-weil/) > [“KINGDOM OF THE WOMB From her thighs, she gives you life And how you treat she who gives you life Shows how much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/kingdom-of-the-womb-from-her-thighs-she-gives-you-life-and-how-you/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [It was childish to feel disappointed, but childishness comes almost as naturally to a man as to a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-was-childish-to-feel-disappointed-but-childishness-comes-almost-as/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“Growing up is childish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/growing-up-is-childish/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The most powerful men were those who most effectively used the power of adult competence to enforce childish agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-s-trow/the-most-powerful-men-were-those-who-most-effectively-used-the-power/) [George W. S. Trow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-s-trow/) > [The naive is what is or appears to be natural, individual, or classical to the point of irony or to the point of continuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/the-naive-is-what-is-or-appears-to-be-natural-individual-or-classical/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [“Mockery is childish, Beatrice,' She says. 'It does not become you'. 'Mockery is childish, Beatric,' I repeat in my best imitation of her voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mockery-is-childish-beatrice-she-says-it-does-not-become-you-mockery/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [When we're in that kind of childish space, we're more genuine and feel more comfortable with our friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/when-we-re-in-that-kind-of-childish-space-we-re-more-genuine-and-feel/) [Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/) > [“Age doesn’t make us childish, as they say, It finds that we’re still children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/age-doesn-t-make-us-childish-as-they-say-it-finds-that-we-re-still/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and clothes and even handbags, the discussion of fur is childish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/in-a-meat-eating-world-wearing-leather-for-shoes-and-clothes-and-even/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [Childish egocentrism is, in its essence, an inability to differentiate between the ego and the social environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/childish-egocentrism-is-in-its-essence-an-inability-to-differentiate/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I wasted my time on your childish games. But don't worry I will not even try to hate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-f-b-mora/i-wasted-my-time-on-your-childish-games-but-don-t-worry-i-will-not/) [Cynthia F B Mora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-f-b-mora/) ## More by Ernest Hemingway > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was no wind, and, outside now of the warm air of the cave, heavy with smoke of both tobacco and charcoal, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-was-no-wind-and-outside-now-of-the-warm-air-of-the-cave-heavy/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“It was not brilliant bull-fighting. It was only perfect bull-fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-brilliant-bull-fighting-it-was-only-perfect-bull-fighting/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Creation's probably overrated. 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There was the green of the headlands, the white, red-roofed villas, patches of forest, and the ocean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/we-drove-out-along-the-coast-road-there-was-the-green-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I read my own books sometimes to cheer me when it is hard to write, and then I remember that it was always difficult,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-read-my-own-books-sometimes-to-cheer-me-when-it-is-hard-to-write/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You find everything on earth at Harry's." "Yes, my Colonel. Except, possibly, happiness." "I'll damn well find happiness, too," the Colonel assured him. "Happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-find-everything-on-earth-at-harry-s-yes-my-colonel-except/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“No. It's bad for me. Cole Porter wrote the words and the music. This knowledge that you're going mad for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/no-it-s-bad-for-me-cole-porter-wrote-the-words-and-the-music-this/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) [Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## More Child quotes > [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/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? 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That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [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/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. 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Don't be childish yourself.\" It is possible to be grateful that no one that you would willingly associate with you say, \"Be mature. Be well-balanced, be well-adjusted.\" Africa, being as old as it is, makes all people except the professional invaders and spoilers into children. No one says to anyone in Africa, \"Why don't you grow up?\" . . . Men know that they are children in relation to the country and, as in armies, seniority and senility ride close together. But to have the heart of a child is not a disgrace. It is an honor. A man must comport himself as a man. . . . 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