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Children Quote by Stephen King

“Before drifting away entirely, he found himself reflecting---not for the first time---on the peculiarity of adults. Thet took laxatives, liquor, or sleeping pills to drive away their terrors so that sleep would come, and their terrors were so tame and domestic: the job, the money, what the teacher…” quote by Stephen King
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““Before drifting away entirely, he found himself reflecting---not for the first time---on the peculiarity of adults. Thet took laxatives, liquor, or sleeping pills to drive away their terrors so that sleep would come, and their terrors were so tame and domestic: the job, the money, what the teacher will think if I can't get Jennie nicer clothes, does my wife still love me, who are my friends. They were pallid compared to the fears every child lies cheek and jowl with in his dark bed, with no one to confess to in hope of perfect understanding but another child. There is no group therapy or psychiatry or community social services for the child who must cope with the thing under the bed or in the cellar every night, the thing which leers and capers and threatens just beyond the point where vision will reach. The same lonely battle must be fought night after night and the only cure is the eventual ossification of the imaginary faculties, and this is called adulthood.””

Stephen King

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Dark Half by Stephen King, 1982

Adults mask deep childhood fears with distractions, but those fears persist, leading to emotional hardening called adulthood.

In simple terms: Adults hide childhood fears with habits, but they remain.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address hidden fears early.

Themes

adulthood fear psychology imagination loneliness

Mood

melancholic reflective somber

Type

literary philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

  • parenting
  • mental health counseling
  • self‑reflection
  • creative writing
  • therapy

Key Concepts

psychological development coping mechanisms imaginary fear

Questions to Reflect On

  • What childhood fear still influences you?
  • How can you confront hidden anxieties?
A Different Perspective

Adults may suppress fears but never fully resolve them.

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