Adults Quote by John Steinbeck
“When a child first catches adults out -- when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not always have divine intelligence, that their judgments are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just -- his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone. And there is one sure thing about the fall of gods: they do not fall a little; they crash and shatter or sink deeply into green muck. It is a tedious job to build them up again; they never quite shine. And the child's world is never quite whole again. It is an aching kind of growing.”
About This Quote
A child's realization that adults are fallible shatters their idealized view, causing deep existential crisis and loss of innocence.
In simple terms: Children learn adults can be imperfect, causing distress.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and accept human imperfection.
Themes
growth
disillusionment
coming ofage
faith
Mood
melancholy
reflective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- parenting
- education
- mental health
- spiritual reflection
Key Concepts
existential crisis
loss of innocence
psychological development
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this loss shape adult resilience?
- Can we rebuild trust after disillusionment?
A Different Perspective
The child's world never fully recovers, leading to lasting vulnerability.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
![“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 art, the object of children's books is to whip the little rascals into shape.” quote by Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cf/katherine-paterson-2365_adults_he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-s_6101.jpg)
