--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That, very simply, was what adulthood…" description: "\"“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out of mi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06c/richard-russo-1691_psychology_that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must_71086.png" --- # That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all… ![“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out of mind.” quote by Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06c/richard-russo-1691_psychology_that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must_71086.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06c/richard-russo-1691_psychology_that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must_71086.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06c/richard-russo-1691_psychology_that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must_71086.png) > ““That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out of mind.”” [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adulthood involves mastering emotional compartmentalization, deliberately pushing painful memories out of conscious awareness to maintain functional stability. **In simple terms:** Emotional compartmentalization Key Takeaway Burying pain aids daily functioning Themes emotional regulation psychological defense maturity self-preservation cognitive avoidance Mood reflective somber cautious Type aphoristic philosophical When to use this quote - dealing with personal loss - managing workplace stress - navigating family conflicts Key Concepts memory suppression coping mechanisms adult responsibilities Practical Applications - therapy techniques for trauma - self-help strategies for stress reduction Questions to Reflect On - How does burying pain affect long-term wellbeing? - What alternatives exist to emotional suppression? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“We have this way of putting certain ideas out of our minds...we do that. Humans, I mean. We have to bury things, hopes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/we-have-this-way-of-putting-certain-ideas-out-of-our-minds-we-do-that/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [We bury things so deep we no longer remember there was anything to bury. Our bodies remember. Our neurotic states remember. But we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/we-bury-things-so-deep-we-no-longer-remember-there-was-anything-to/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I bury things in the back of my mind I don't really want to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-sanders/i-bury-things-in-the-back-of-my-mind-i-don-t-really-want-to-deal-with/) [Ashton Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-sanders/) > [“It’s better to fracture a myth and let it spread and let it cling to the gelatin minds of children over the years than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-jace/it-s-better-to-fracture-a-myth-and-let-it-spread-and-let-it-cling-to/) [Cameron Jace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-jace/) > [I feel things more deeply... anything to do with kids. It just makes a big difference in my life... Having a child is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-feel-things-more-deeply-anything-to-do-with-kids-it-just-makes-a/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [“Women clearly felt things more deeply: they read sub-text where men saw only white space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elin-hilderbrand/women-clearly-felt-things-more-deeply-they-read-sub-text-where-men/) [Elin Hilderbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elin-hilderbrand/) > [When you feel things deeply and you think about things a lot and you think about how you feel, you learn a lot about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/when-you-feel-things-deeply-and-you-think-about-things-a-lot-and-you/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) > [“I've done things I deeply regret, but helping you isn't, and never will be one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gray-marie-cox/i-ve-done-things-i-deeply-regret-but-helping-you-isn-t-and-never-will/) Gray Marie Cox > [I've found for the last couple of years that the things that I can become most deeply involved with are songs that reflect my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/i-ve-found-for-the-last-couple-of-years-that-the-things-that-i-can/) [Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/) > [I feel things deeply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-aguilera/i-feel-things-deeply/) [Christina Aguilera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-aguilera/) > [We have penetrated far less deeply into the regularities obtaining within the realm of living things, but deeply enough nevertheless to sense at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/we-have-penetrated-far-less-deeply-into-the-regularities-obtaining/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Maybe you're a singer or not, but what taps into the soul leads to the heart, and that's really what I came away with,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pj-harvey/maybe-you-re-a-singer-or-not-but-what-taps-into-the-soul-leads-to-the/) [PJ Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pj-harvey/) > [Sometimes you think you know things, know things very deeply, only to realize you don't know a damn thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/sometimes-you-think-you-know-things-know-things-very-deeply-only-to/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [Looking back upon my work today, I think the best I have done grew out of things deeply felt, the worst from a pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-rivera/looking-back-upon-my-work-today-i-think-the-best-i-have-done-grew-out/) [Diego Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-rivera/) > [Every script I've written and every series I've produced have expressed the things I most deeply believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-landon/every-script-i-ve-written-and-every-series-i-ve-produced-have/) [Michael Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-landon/) ## More by Richard Russo > [“The problem with the contemplative life was that there was no end to contemplation, no fixed time limit after which thought had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-problem-with-the-contemplative-life-was-that-there-was-no-end-to/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Miles couldn't help admiring women for their ability to dismiss the evidence of their senses. If that's what explained it. If it wasn't simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/miles-couldn-t-help-admiring-women-for-their-ability-to-dismiss-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [That afternoon I came to understand that one of the deepest purposes of intellectual sophistication is to provide distance between us and our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-afternoon-i-came-to-understand-that-one-of-the-deepest-purposes/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Lucy, who apparently had no idea his girlfriend's father held him in such low regard, agreed with Noonan that he was pushing the envelope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/lucy-who-apparently-had-no-idea-his-girlfriend-s-father-held-him-in/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Movies have to handle time very efficiently. They're about stringing scenes together in the present. Novels aren't necessarily about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/movies-have-to-handle-time-very-efficiently-they-re-about-stringing/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“There was something about spending money they didn't really have that made him optimistic about more coming in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/there-was-something-about-spending-money-they-didn-t-really-have-that/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Some authors have a very hard time understanding that in order to be faithful to the spirit of the book, it's almost always impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/some-authors-have-a-very-hard-time-understanding-that-in-order-to-be/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/hbo-is-really-famous-for-hiring-good-people-and-staying-out-of-their/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of material in the world. Or in my head. I just pray for continued good health, because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-material-in-the-world-or-in-my/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Where was the middle ground between a sense of adventure and just plain sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/where-was-the-middle-ground-between-a-sense-of-adventure-and-just/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Non basta una vita "One life isn't enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/non-basta-una-vita-one-life-isn-t-enough/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“... Mr. Purty has cheered me up. The task he has chosen for himself, of wooing my mother with a bright red pickup truck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/mr-purty-has-cheered-me-up-the-task-he-has-chosen-for-himself-of/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“So what? Few men, Miles reflected, lived so comfortably within the confines of a two.word personal philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/so-what-few-men-miles-reflected-lived-so-comfortably-within-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Writers are people who put pen to paper every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/writers-are-people-who-put-pen-to-paper-every-day/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) [Explore all 214 Richard Russo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## More Psychology quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [No!! Get out of my Head!...You may have invaded my mind and my body...But there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps...his PRIDE!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragon-ball-z/no-get-out-of-my-head-you-may-have-invaded-my-mind-and-my-body-but/) [Dragon Ball Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragon-ball-z/) [Browse all 56,059 Psychology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out of mind.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Russo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Psychology" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06c/richard-russo-1691_psychology_that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must_71086.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06c/richard-russo-1691_psychology_that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must_71086.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06c/richard-russo-1691_psychology_that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must_71086.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out…” — Richard Russo", "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": "Richard Russo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“That, very simply, was what adulthood...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/#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 } } ] } ```