--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Papa is just a kid who's playing the dead…" description: "\"“Papa is just a kid who's playing the dead serious grown-up.”\" — Muriel Barbery" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/muriel-barbery-1092_papa_papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dea_3119347.png" --- # Papa is just a kid who's playing the dead serious grown-up. ![“Papa is just a kid who's playing the dead serious grown-up.” quote by Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/muriel-barbery-1092_papa_papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dea_3119347.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/muriel-barbery-1092_papa_papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dea_3119347.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/muriel-barbery-1092_papa_papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dea_3119347.png) > ““Papa is just a kid who's playing the dead serious grown-up.”” [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adults often hide behind seriousness, but deep down they are still children at heart. **In simple terms:** Adults pretend to be serious but are still kids. Key Takeaway Recognize the childlike wonder in everyone. Themes identity authenticity growth Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - parenting - education - team leadership Key Concepts psychology literature self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What masks do you use to hide your true self? - How can you foster genuine expression? A Different Perspective Adults may resist acknowledging their vulnerability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead Grown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-grown-5470200/) [Just Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-kid-728910/) [Papa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papa/) [Papa Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papa-just-5470199/) [Playing Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-dead-2444883/) ## Related quotes > [Now I'm a God, but tomorrow, when you have to stop me from playing with dead things again, you'll be right back to calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/now-i-m-a-god-but-tomorrow-when-you-have-to-stop-me-from-playing-with/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [If you annoy the Hog-nosed Snake enough, he will roll over on his back and play dead. If you turn him right-side up, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cuppy/if-you-annoy-the-hog-nosed-snake-enough-he-will-roll-over-on-his-back/) [Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cuppy/) > [“Mick hadn’t become the NFL’S leading quarterback by lying back and playing dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaci-burton/mick-hadn-t-become-the-nfl-s-leading-quarterback-by-lying-back-and/) [Jaci Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaci-burton/) > [Playing dead is difficult with a full bladder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/playing-dead-is-difficult-with-a-full-bladder/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [“A street where there are no children playing is a dead street!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/a-street-where-there-are-no-children-playing-is-a-dead-street/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“In our world, that's the way you live your grown-up life: you must constantly rebuild your identity as an adult, the way it's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/in-our-world-that-s-the-way-you-live-your-grown-up-life-you-must-2/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“In any event, it's done," said Papa-which are the words of a coward to the power of ten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/in-any-event-it-s-done-said-papa-which-are-the-words-of-a-coward-to/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [I was just a kid then. But I won't forget. Nor will others. There's lots of people with reason to hate the Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-was-just-a-kid-then-but-i-won-t-forget-nor-will-others-there-s-lots/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I'm just the same kid on the field. Nothing's going to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-tatis-jr/i-m-just-the-same-kid-on-the-field-nothing-s-going-to-change/) [Fernando Tatis Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-tatis-jr/) > [There are people who take fashion at different levels, but personally, I'm just a kid with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-scott/there-are-people-who-take-fashion-at-different-levels-but-personally/) [Travis Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-scott/) > [A scientist is just a kid who never grew up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/a-scientist-is-just-a-kid-who-never-grew-up/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I'll cover just about anything - except for a Kid Rock song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/i-ll-cover-just-about-anything-except-for-a-kid-rock-song/) [Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/) > [I'm OK being the veteran, but I'm still just a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-zito/i-m-ok-being-the-veteran-but-i-m-still-just-a-kid/) [Barry Zito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-zito/) > [Well somebody has to take care of me! I'm just a kid!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gia-carangi/well-somebody-has-to-take-care-of-me-i-m-just-a-kid/) [Gia Carangi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gia-carangi/) > [No, I ain't a star - I'm just a kid from Brooklyn, living his dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astro/no-i-ain-t-a-star-i-m-just-a-kid-from-brooklyn-living-his-dream/) [Astro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astro/) ## More by Muriel Barbery > [“Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, teach the teachers; and those who can't teach the teachers go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/those-who-can-do-those-who-can-t-teach-those-who-can-t-teach-teach/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [What is writing, no matter how lavish the pieces, if it says nothing of the truth, cares little for the heart, and is merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/what-is-writing-no-matter-how-lavish-the-pieces-if-it-says-nothing-of/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [Live or die: mere consequences of what you have built. What matters is building well. So here we are I've assigned myself a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/live-or-die-mere-consequences-of-what-you-have-built-what-matters-is/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“A terroir only exists by virtue of one's childhood mythology . . . we have invented these words of tradition rooted deep in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/a-terroir-only-exists-by-virtue-of-one-s-childhood-mythology-we-have/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“The tea ritual: such a precise repetition of the same gestures and the same tastes; accession to simple,authentic and refined sensations, a license given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/the-tea-ritual-such-a-precise-repetition-of-the-same-gestures-and-the/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [As always, I am saved by the inability of living creatures to believe anything that might cause the walls of their little mental assumptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/as-always-i-am-saved-by-the-inability-of-living-creatures-to-believe/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“I wonder if I am not turning into a contemplative . . . But those roses . They were something else. I was having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/i-wonder-if-i-am-not-turning-into-a-contemplative-but-those-roses/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [Personally I think that grammar is a way to attain beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/personally-i-think-that-grammar-is-a-way-to-attain-beauty/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [To be poor, ugly and, moreover, intelligent condemns one in our society to a dark and disillusioned life...to beauty all is forgiven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/to-be-poor-ugly-and-moreover-intelligent-condemns-one-in-our-society/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [Beautiful things should belong to beautiful souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/beautiful-things-should-belong-to-beautiful-souls/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [I know that they're all unhappy because nobody loves the right person the way they should and because they don't understand that it's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/i-know-that-they-re-all-unhappy-because-nobody-loves-the-right-person/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [We never look beyond our assumptions and what's worse, we have given up trying to meet others; we just meet ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/we-never-look-beyond-our-assumptions-and-what-s-worse-we-have-given/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“To rich people it must seem that the ordinary little people..experience human emotions with less intensity and greater indifference...The fact that we might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/to-rich-people-it-must-seem-that-the-ordinary-little-people/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [I may know that the world is an ugly place, I still don't want to see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/i-may-know-that-the-world-is-an-ugly-place-i-still-don-t-want-to-see/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“Personally I think that grammar is a way to attain Beauty. When you speak, or read, or write, you can tell if you’ve said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/personally-i-think-that-grammar-is-a-way-to-attain-beauty-when-you/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) [Explore all 250 Muriel Barbery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) ## More Papa quotes > [Scars by Papa Roach. <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophielianne/scars-by-papa-roach-3/) [Sophielianne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophielianne/) > [I filled in for Papa Roach because we weren't doing much. Unwritten Law had a few more shows booked, but I got the call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-palermo/i-filled-in-for-papa-roach-because-we-weren-t-doing-much-unwritten/) [Tony Palermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-palermo/) > [ We're striving to stay in the arenas. We \[Papa Roach\] had just little things that just took our show a step up and were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-palermo/we-re-striving-to-stay-in-the-arenas-we-papa-roach-had-just-little/) [Tony Palermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-palermo/) > [No mama, no papa, and I live in the ghetto. I'm just a child from a broken home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-aitken/no-mama-no-papa-and-i-live-in-the-ghetto-i-m-just-a-child-from-a/) [Laurel Aitken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-aitken/) > [Today at school I will learn to read at once; then tomorrow I will begin to write, and the day after tomorrow to cipher.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-collodi/today-at-school-i-will-learn-to-read-at-once-then-tomorrow-i-will/) [Carlo Collodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-collodi/) > [Every man is a special nature. Some persons to every person or goods or dislike like. papa has its own choice or impose itssupport…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/every-man-is-a-special-nature-some-persons-to-every-person-or-goods/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“Papa?” she said, turning in circles now, spinning to look at each of the entrances. “Do you mean Papa? Where?” He came through an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/papa-she-said-turning-in-circles-now-spinning-to-look-at-each-of-the/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [The other day when we were reading The Little Mermaid again, at the part where it says that only human souls can go up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ekaterina-gordeeva/the-other-day-when-we-were-reading-the-little-mermaid-again-at-the/) [Ekaterina Gordeeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ekaterina-gordeeva/) > [The child that is not clean and neat, With lots of toys and things to eat, He is a naughty child, I'm sure-- Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-child-that-is-not-clean-and-neat-with-lots-of-toys-and-things-to/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [I was criticized at some level within the Republican Party by those who say government should not be in the economic development business at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/i-was-criticized-at-some-level-within-the-republican-party-by-those/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [He was just hungry, Papa. He's going to die. He's going to die anyway. He's so scared, Papa. The man squatted and looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-was-just-hungry-papa-he-s-going-to-die-he-s-going-to-die-anyway-he/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Tell me, Papa,” she said, her voice raw. “How many times can a girl fall to her ruin?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-mahaffey/tell-me-papa-she-said-her-voice-raw-how-many-times-can-a-girl-fall-to/) [Montgomery Mahaffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-mahaffey/) > [The light was leaving in the west it was blue The children's laughter sang and skipping just like the stones they threw the voices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-johnson/the-light-was-leaving-in-the-west-it-was-blue-the-children-s-laughter/) [Jack Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-johnson/) > [“He ran his knuckles over her cheek as their gazes met and held. So much. He had been given so much. The sound of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-lynne/he-ran-his-knuckles-over-her-cheek-as-their-gazes-met-and-held-so/) [Victoria Lynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-lynne/) > [Papa was a rolling stone, wherever he laid his hat was his home. And when he died, all he left us was alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-temptations/papa-was-a-rolling-stone-wherever-he-laid-his-hat-was-his-home-and/) [The Temptations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-temptations/) [Browse all 262 Papa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papa/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Papa is just a kid who's playing the dead serious grown-up.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Muriel Barbery" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dead-serious-grown-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Papa" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dead-serious-grown-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/muriel-barbery-1092_papa_papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dea_3119347.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/muriel-barbery-1092_papa_papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dea_3119347.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/muriel-barbery-1092_papa_papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dea_3119347.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Papa is just a kid who's playing the dead serious grown-up.” — Muriel Barbery", "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": "Muriel Barbery", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Papa is just a kid who's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dead-serious-grown-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/papa-is-just-a-kid-who-s-playing-the-dead-serious-grown-up/#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 } } ] } ```