--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When adults say, \"Teenagers think they…" description: "\"When adults say, \"Teenagers think they are invincible\" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/john-green-12_alaska_when-adults-say-teenagers-think-they-are_717252.jpg" --- # When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible"… ![“When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/john-green-12_alaska_when-adults-say-teenagers-think-they-are_717252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/john-green-12_alaska_when-adults-say-teenagers-think-they-are_717252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/john-green-12_alaska_when-adults-say-teenagers-think-they-are_717252.jpg) > “When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail.” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that human resilience is like energy—transformable, never truly destroyed—encouraging hope and perseverance despite aging and fear. **In simple terms:** Human spirit end like energy, always changing but never ending. Key Takeaway Embrace change and stay hopeful. Themes resilience hope impermanence growth psychology Mood hopeful encouraging philosophical Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - overcoming fear - aging - personal development - mindset shifts - accepting change Key Concepts energy metaphor existential optimism mental health Questions to Reflect On - What does “energy” mean to you in hardship? - How can we support others feeling irreparably broken? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex psychological struggles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alaska/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Invincible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invincible/) [Teenagers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenagers/) [Teens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teens/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [“When adults say, " teenagers think they are invincible," with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don’t know how right they are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/when-adults-say-teenagers-think-they-are-invincible-with-that-sly-3/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-need-never-be-hopeless-because-we-can-never-be-irreparably-broken-3/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“And if Alaska took her own life, that is the hope I wish I could have given her. Forgetting her mother, failing her mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-if-alaska-took-her-own-life-that-is-the-hope-i-wish-i-could-have/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Teenagers think they are invincible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/teenagers-think-they-are-invincible/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Those awful things are survivable, because we are as indestructible as we believe ourselves to be. When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/those-awful-things-are-survivable-because-we-are-as-indestructible-as/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Although no one will ever accuse me of being much of a science student, one thing I learned from science classes is that energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/although-no-one-will-ever-accuse-me-of-being-much-of-a-science/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“When adults say, "teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/when-adults-say-teenagers-think-they-are-invincible-with-that-sly-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [We think that we are invincible because we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-think-that-we-are-invincible-because-we-are/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“we never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think think that we are invincible because we are as indestructible as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-never-be-hopeless-because-we-can-never-be-irreparably-broken-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think we are invincible because we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/we-need-never-be-hopeless-because-we-can-never-be-irreparably-broken/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I don't think I'm invincible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/i-don-t-think-i-m-invincible/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [“Eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds think they’re invincible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-aliwat/eighteen-and-nineteen-year-olds-think-they-re-invincible/) [A.D. Aliwat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-d-aliwat/) > [“Young people think they are invincible, that nothing bad will ever happen to them, and then something changes: they fall in love. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-monopoli/young-people-think-they-are-invincible-that-nothing-bad-will-ever/) [Ben Monopoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-monopoli/) > [I don't think of myself as being invincible anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sliwa/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-being-invincible-anymore/) [Curtis Sliwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sliwa/) > [When you are a footballer you think you're invincible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-fletcher/when-you-are-a-footballer-you-think-you-re-invincible/) [Darren Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-fletcher/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Alaska quotes > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Grief is like an ocean. It comes in waves - some waves are bigger than others and you cannot prepare for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-lane/grief-is-like-an-ocean-it-comes-in-waves-some-waves-are-bigger-than/) [Summer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-lane/) > [There's no doubt 'normal' is changing - spring actually came a month early in Alaska, for example, and we had to stop filming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-rice/there-s-no-doubt-normal-is-changing-spring-actually-came-a-month/) [Travis Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-rice/) > [Kids in Alaska don't know they're growing up on the Last Frontier. It's just what they see on the license plates, and it's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bodett/kids-in-alaska-don-t-know-they-re-growing-up-on-the-last-frontier-it/) [Tom Bodett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bodett/) > [What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-the-hell-is-instant-nothing-is-instant/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/they-re-our-next-door-neighbors-and-you-can-actually-see-russia-from/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [If the world were an orange with 18 segments meeting at the top (the North Pole), roughly 8 of them would be in Russia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/if-the-world-were-an-orange-with-18-segments-meeting-at-the-top-the/) [Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/) > [And I just got the ghost, and I'm calling it Casper but that is so cold, it belong in Alaska.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/and-i-just-got-the-ghost-and-i-m-calling-it-casper-but-that-is-so/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [Like any traveler, I'm always looking for those experiences that are almost unique to any place, and watching films around Alaska of the skies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/like-any-traveler-i-m-always-looking-for-those-experiences-that-are/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/a-changing-environment-will-affect-alaska-more-than-any-other-state/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [Mitt Romney understands the importance of Alaska as a leader in our country's energy production and I look forward to working with him on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/mitt-romney-understands-the-importance-of-alaska-as-a-leader-in-our/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [Why would even I say we can't stop drilling in the Gulf? Because we have no alternatives. Whether or not we drill in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-safina/why-would-even-i-say-we-can-t-stop-drilling-in-the-gulf-because-we/) [Carl Safina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-safina/) > [On the lip of the Grand Canyon. I've always wanted to do that. My very first TV special out of the Olympics was on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-boitano/on-the-lip-of-the-grand-canyon-i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-that-my-very/) [Brian Boitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-boitano/) > [“The canopy of trees overhead is so thick that only bits and pieces of blue sky can be seen overhead. Narrow rays of sunshine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-g-foster/the-canopy-of-trees-overhead-is-so-thick-that-only-bits-and-pieces-of/) Vanessa G. Foster > [Let's make a deal: You figure out what the labyrinth is and how to get out of it, and i'll get you laid. -Alaska…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/let-s-make-a-deal-you-figure-out-what-the-labyrinth-is-and-how-to-get/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Browse all 320 Alaska quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alaska/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When adults say, \"Teenagers think they are invincible\" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. 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