--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Adults under threat feel like children." description: "\"Adults under threat feel like children.\" — Martha Beck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/martha-beck-961_adults_adults-under-threat-feel-like-children-1_1402728.png" --- # Adults under threat feel like children. ![“Adults under threat feel like children.” quote by Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/martha-beck-961_adults_adults-under-threat-feel-like-children-1_1402728.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/martha-beck-961_adults_adults-under-threat-feel-like-children-1_1402728.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/martha-beck-961_adults_adults-under-threat-feel-like-children-1_1402728.png) > “Adults under threat feel like children.” [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Under threat, adults revert to childlike behavior, indicating regression under stress. **In simple terms:** Threat makes adults act childlike. Key Takeaway Maintain composure in stressful situations. Themes stress regression vulnerability growth Mood empathetic concerned Type self‑help psychological When to use this quote - crisis management - parenting - personal development Key Concepts psychological regression coping mechanisms developmental psychology Questions to Reflect On - What triggers regression? - How can one stay resilient? A Different Perspective May not apply to all adults. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [It's okay to feel the need for protection if there is a real external threat. But to feel protective from the inside, it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/it-s-okay-to-feel-the-need-for-protection-if-there-is-a-real-external/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [We have reason to feel good, but it's also a threat to feel too good and I will pay attention that that doesn't happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-vettel/we-have-reason-to-feel-good-but-it-s-also-a-threat-to-feel-too-good/) [Sebastian Vettel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-vettel/) > [When your institution is under threat, you feel you have a lot of hostility, you feel things are slipping away, you have got internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/when-your-institution-is-under-threat-you-feel-you-have-a-lot-of/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/to-be-left-alone-on-the-tightrope-of-youthful-unknowing-is-to/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [It is hard to imagine, but in a Maryland school, a 13- year old girl was arrested for refusing to say the pledge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/it-is-hard-to-imagine-but-in-a-maryland-school-a-13-year-old-girl-was/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Like all children, I spent a lot of time looking for idols.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/like-all-children-i-spent-a-lot-of-time-looking-for-idols/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“Tomorrow we settle this like children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhonen-vasquez/tomorrow-we-settle-this-like-children/) [Jhonen Vásquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhonen-vasquez/) > [If a mother won't like those of her children, who keep singing in her name and trouble her other children, how would god?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/if-a-mother-won-t-like-those-of-her-children-who-keep-singing-in-her/) Senoraroy > [A wife is like a children's movie; always under-appreciated and without either, life would be incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/a-wife-is-like-a-children-s-movie-always-under-appreciated-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [When you make these films, they become like your children. But at a certain point, they don’t belong to you anymore; they belong to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/when-you-make-these-films-they-become-like-your-children-but-at-a/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [You’re always a kid around your parents… Unless they’re acting like children. Then you don’t get the chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-re-always-a-kid-around-your-parents-unless-they-re-acting-like/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think the best thing that you can do with your kids is to talk to them like they're human beings, not like they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-zimmer/i-think-the-best-thing-that-you-can-do-with-your-kids-is-to-talk-to/) [Constance Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-zimmer/) > [In a way, my paintings are like my children. They have many possibilities in life. You tell them, 'I believe that you're good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-bisky/in-a-way-my-paintings-are-like-my-children-they-have-many/) [Norbert Bisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-bisky/) > [“He was self-assured without being cocky, friendly but not pushy, independent but in no way precocious. He was also exceptionally selfreliant, perfectly happy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-vincenzi/he-was-self-assured-without-being-cocky-friendly-but-not-pushy/) [Penny Vincenzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-vincenzi/) > [“Dreams are like children. They want for attention if they are to flourish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-goff/dreams-are-like-children-they-want-for-attention-if-they-are-to/) J.D. Goff ## More by Martha Beck > [Imagine what you'd do if it absolutely didn't matter what people thought of you. Got it? Good. Never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/imagine-what-you-d-do-if-it-absolutely-didn-t-matter-what-people/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [In one century, we've added 28 years to our average life span - a change so rapid that our brains couldn't possibly have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/in-one-century-we-ve-added-28-years-to-our-average-life-span-a-change/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [If I tell a man he needs to quit his soul-sucking job, he has to go home and fight with his wife or fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/if-i-tell-a-man-he-needs-to-quit-his-soul-sucking-job-he-has-to-go/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [I was learning to track rhinoceroses in Africa and tracked right up on an animal that really I thought was going to kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/i-was-learning-to-track-rhinoceroses-in-africa-and-tracked-right-up/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [There has never been, and never will be, anyone who sees, thinks, or responds exactly the way you do. Whether you’re revolutionizing physics or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/there-has-never-been-and-never-will-be-anyone-who-sees-thinks-or/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/loneliness-is-proof-that-your-innate-search-for-connection-is-intact/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Most of my clients don't realize that the way they look and the way they think about their looks are two separate issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/most-of-my-clients-don-t-realize-that-the-way-they-look-and-the-way/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-power-to-bring-me-out-of-solitude-or-to-push-me-back-into-it-had/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Learning to quit while you're not ahead, when the dull ooze of depression tells you things are not going to get any better, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/learning-to-quit-while-you-re-not-ahead-when-the-dull-ooze-of/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [The important thing is to tell yourself a life story in which you, the hero, are primarily a problem solver rather than a helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-important-thing-is-to-tell-yourself-a-life-story-in-which-you-the/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [A joyful life isn’t about others; it’s about the brightness that is associated with being alive. Your path to it is through anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/a-joyful-life-isn-t-about-others-it-s-about-the-brightness-that-is/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Fear is the raw material from which courage is manufactured. Without it, we wouldn't even know what it means to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/fear-is-the-raw-material-from-which-courage-is-manufactured-without/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Many people think passion is a fuzzy feeling that makes taking action effortless. In fact, it's the gritty courage and tenacity to forge onward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/many-people-think-passion-is-a-fuzzy-feeling-that-makes-taking-action/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Angels come in many shapes and sizes, and most of them are not invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/angels-come-in-many-shapes-and-sizes-and-most-of-them-are-not/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Truth itself is something you live, not something you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/truth-itself-is-something-you-live-not-something-you-think/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) [Explore all 318 Martha Beck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) ## More Adults quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [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/) > [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. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. 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. As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Adults under threat feel like children.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martha Beck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/adults-under-threat-feel-like-children/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adults" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/adults-under-threat-feel-like-children/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/martha-beck-961_adults_adults-under-threat-feel-like-children-1_1402728.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/martha-beck-961_adults_adults-under-threat-feel-like-children-1_1402728.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/martha-beck-961_adults_adults-under-threat-feel-like-children-1_1402728.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Adults under threat feel like children.” — Martha Beck", "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": "Martha Beck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Adults under threat feel like children.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/adults-under-threat-feel-like-children/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/adults-under-threat-feel-like-children/#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 } } ] } ```