--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Adults acting like children and children…" description: "\"Adults acting like children and children acting like adults is generally a pretty reliable comic device.\" — Seth MacFarlane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/seth-macfarlane-4710_acting_adults-acting-like-children-and-children_448425.png" --- # Adults acting like children and children acting like… ![“Adults acting like children and children acting like adults is generally a pretty reliable comic device.” quote by Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/seth-macfarlane-4710_acting_adults-acting-like-children-and-children_448425.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/seth-macfarlane-4710_acting_adults-acting-like-children-and-children_448425.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/seth-macfarlane-4710_acting_adults-acting-like-children-and-children_448425.png) > “Adults acting like children and children acting like adults is generally a pretty reliable comic device.” [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The humor arises from role reversals that highlight absurdities in adult and child behavior. **In simple terms:** Adults act childish, kids act adult, creating comedy. Key Takeaway Use role reversal to expose contradictions. Themes comedy role reversal social satire generational contrast Mood playful ironic Type satirical observational When to use this quote - family gatherings - school settings - online memes - improv sketches Key Concepts humor theory social norms behavioral inversion Questions to Reflect On - What expectations does this flip challenge? - How does it reveal societal pressures? A Different Perspective May reinforce stereotypes rather than challenge them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) ## Related quotes > [How are children supposed to learn to act like adults, when so much of what they see on television shows adults acting like children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/how-are-children-supposed-to-learn-to-act-like-adults-when-so-much-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Physicians who care for adults generally don't think about vaccines as much as pediatricians do, and adults think of vaccines as a kid thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-a-offit/physicians-who-care-for-adults-generally-don-t-think-about-vaccines/) [Paul A. Offit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-a-offit/) > [A babysitter is a teenager acting like an adult while the adults are out acting like teenagers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-babysitter-is-a-teenager-acting-like-an-adult-while-the-adults-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes you just have to let crap slide when it comes to adults acting like kids, because that can be a beautiful thing. True?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/sometimes-you-just-have-to-let-crap-slide-when-it-comes-to-adults/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [A baby-sitter is a teenager acting like an adult while the adults are out acting like teenagers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-baby-sitter-is-a-teenager-acting-like-an-adult-while-the-adults-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought a parent's job was to tell their children not to go into acting as a profession!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-thought-a-parent-s-job-was-to-tell-their-children-not-to-go-into/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [“Parents of young children are always acting. You act excited to read a story for the five-hundredth time. You act impressed someone went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/parents-of-young-children-are-always-acting-you-act-excited-to-read-a/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I'm leaving town cause my children are acting too much like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kind/i-m-leaving-town-cause-my-children-are-acting-too-much-like-me/) [Richard Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kind/) > [I think that children that are acting are always pretty savvy anyway because you're conducting yourself around adults a lot of the time, aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-jensen/i-think-that-children-that-are-acting-are-always-pretty-savvy-anyway/) [Ashley Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-jensen/) > [“there were more children there than Scrooge in his agitated mind could count, and unlike the celebrated poem, not every forty children were acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-were-more-children-there-than-scrooge-in-his-agitated-mind/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [When adults behave like Children and children like adults, life becomes chaotic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/when-adults-behave-like-children-and-children-like-adults-life/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [My parents were never condescending to us. They treated us like adults from a very young age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hanson/my-parents-were-never-condescending-to-us-they-treated-us-like-adults/) [Isaac Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hanson/) > [If you set as your goal to roll back the size of government, you have an obligation to answer the tough questions and show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-baird/if-you-set-as-your-goal-to-roll-back-the-size-of-government-you-have/) [Brian Baird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-baird/) > [TEENAGER the most misunderstood people on earth, treated like children but expected to act like adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teenager-the-most-misunderstood-people-on-earth-treated-like-children/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Teenagers: The most misunderstood people on earth. Treated like children and expected to act like adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teenagers-the-most-misunderstood-people-on-earth-treated-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Seth MacFarlane > [The good thing about Broadway is that you don't have to worry about an airdate. It gets done when it gets done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/the-good-thing-about-broadway-is-that-you-don-t-have-to-worry-about/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [Every woman's innate ability to let anything go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/every-woman-s-innate-ability-to-let-anything-go/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [I tend to lean more towards the Westerns of the 40s and 50s as opposed to the 60s and 70s. They get a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-tend-to-lean-more-towards-the-westerns-of-the-40s-and-50s-as/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [There's really no hope of anyone turning off the Olympics to watch something on Fox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/there-s-really-no-hope-of-anyone-turning-off-the-olympics-to-watch/) [Seth Macfarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [Absolutely, we were influenced by The Simpsons. We'd be stupid not to be. They put that out there, and we took a cue from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/absolutely-we-were-influenced-by-the-simpsons-we-d-be-stupid-not-to/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [“Ta-da! A colossal prick!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/ta-da-a-colossal-prick/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [Science has become politicized, and that's an embarrassment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/science-has-become-politicized-and-that-s-an-embarrassment/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [I love the English. My God, they brought us 'Benny Hill,' 'Monty Python,' 'The Office,' Neville Chamberlain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-love-the-english-my-god-they-brought-us-benny-hill-monty-python-the/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [I'm from Connecticut, and we don't have any dialects. Well, I don't think we have any dialects, and yeah, it's very complex. That Rhode…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-m-from-connecticut-and-we-don-t-have-any-dialects-well-i-don-t/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [I had - I was pretty hell bent on getting into the cartoon business specifically as an artist from the get-go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-had-i-was-pretty-hell-bent-on-getting-into-the-cartoon-business/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [I don't gravitate toward any particular genre. I like to do things that interest me, regardless of genre. I've had a blast doing Cosmos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-don-t-gravitate-toward-any-particular-genre-i-like-to-do-things/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [On a certain day, I will tweet five times, and then I'll go four days without tweeting at all. It really depends on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/on-a-certain-day-i-will-tweet-five-times-and-then-i-ll-go-four-days/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [Sarah Palin is very pro-life of course, unless the life is that of an Iraqi civilian or a wolf running frantically from a roaring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/sarah-palin-is-very-pro-life-of-course-unless-the-life-is-that-of-an/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [With the Titanic, enough time has passed and you can make fun of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/with-the-titanic-enough-time-has-passed-and-you-can-make-fun-of-that/) [Seth Macfarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [You break the story first, and then you go into the specifics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/you-break-the-story-first-and-then-you-go-into-the-specifics/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) [Explore all 106 Seth MacFarlane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [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/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Adults acting like children and children acting like adults is generally a pretty reliable comic device.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth MacFarlane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/adults-acting-like-children-and-children-acting-like-adults-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/adults-acting-like-children-and-children-acting-like-adults-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/seth-macfarlane-4710_acting_adults-acting-like-children-and-children_448425.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/seth-macfarlane-4710_acting_adults-acting-like-children-and-children_448425.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/seth-macfarlane-4710_acting_adults-acting-like-children-and-children_448425.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Adults acting like children and children acting like adults is generally a pretty reliable comic device.” — Seth MacFarlane", "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": "Seth MacFarlane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Adults acting like children and children...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/adults-acting-like-children-and-children-acting-like-adults-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/adults-acting-like-children-and-children-acting-like-adults-is/#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 } } ] } ```