--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a childish realization, I admit—no…" description: "\"“It is a childish realization, I admit—no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can be quite possessed—but after all, we were c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/william-landay-7878_childish_it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no_1924040.png" --- # It is a childish realization, I admit—no one worth knowing… ![“It is a childish realization, I admit—no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can be quite possessed—but after all, we were children.” quote by William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/william-landay-7878_childish_it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no_1924040.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/william-landay-7878_childish_it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no_1924040.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/william-landay-7878_childish_it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no_1924040.png) > ““It is a childish realization, I admit—no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can be quite possessed—but after all, we were children.”” [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People cannot be fully known or owned; we remain children at heart. **In simple terms:** No one is completely knowable or possessable. Key Takeaway Accept mystery in relationships. Themes identity relationships human nature Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - friendship - romantic partnership - parenting - self‑reflection Key Concepts existentialism psychology literary theme Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself do you keep hidden? - How does embracing childlike wonder affect connections? A Different Perspective It may overlook deep intimacy that can develop. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Childish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childish/) [Childish Realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childish-realization-2972887/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Possessed Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessed-children-1095001/) [Realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization/) [Realization Admit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization-admit-2972888/) ## Related quotes > [I'm still there, watching those possessed children, as far away from the mystery now as I was then. I've never written, though I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-duras/i-m-still-there-watching-those-possessed-children-as-far-away-from/) [Marguerite Duras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-duras/) > [“I had a childish attraction to men of my father's generation, as if I still harbored a faint hope of being unorphaned, even at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/i-had-a-childish-attraction-to-men-of-my-father-s-generation-as-if-i/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [I think it is important to learn to distinguish between being childlike and being childish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-it-is-important-to-learn-to-distinguish-between-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't you understand that we need to be childish in order to understand? Only a child sees things with perfect clarity, because it hasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/don-t-you-understand-that-we-need-to-be-childish-in-order-to/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [It was childish to feel disappointed, but childishness comes almost as naturally to a man as to a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-was-childish-to-feel-disappointed-but-childishness-comes-almost-as/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [“Growing up is childish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/growing-up-is-childish/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The most powerful men were those who most effectively used the power of adult competence to enforce childish agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-s-trow/the-most-powerful-men-were-those-who-most-effectively-used-the-power/) [George W. S. Trow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-s-trow/) > [The naive is what is or appears to be natural, individual, or classical to the point of irony or to the point of continuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/the-naive-is-what-is-or-appears-to-be-natural-individual-or-classical/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [“Mockery is childish, Beatrice,' She says. 'It does not become you'. 'Mockery is childish, Beatric,' I repeat in my best imitation of her voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mockery-is-childish-beatrice-she-says-it-does-not-become-you-mockery/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [When we're in that kind of childish space, we're more genuine and feel more comfortable with our friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/when-we-re-in-that-kind-of-childish-space-we-re-more-genuine-and-feel/) [Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/) > [“Age doesn’t make us childish, as they say, It finds that we’re still children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/age-doesn-t-make-us-childish-as-they-say-it-finds-that-we-re-still/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“KINGDOM OF THE WOMB From her thighs, she gives you life And how you treat she who gives you life Shows how much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/kingdom-of-the-womb-from-her-thighs-she-gives-you-life-and-how-you/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and clothes and even handbags, the discussion of fur is childish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/in-a-meat-eating-world-wearing-leather-for-shoes-and-clothes-and-even/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [Childish egocentrism is, in its essence, an inability to differentiate between the ego and the social environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/childish-egocentrism-is-in-its-essence-an-inability-to-differentiate/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I wasted my time on your childish games. But don't worry I will not even try to hate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-f-b-mora/i-wasted-my-time-on-your-childish-games-but-don-t-worry-i-will-not/) [Cynthia F B Mora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-f-b-mora/) ## More by William Landay > [“no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can be quite possessed—but”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/no-one-worth-knowing-can-be-quite-known-no-one-worth-possessing-can/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“I do not believe in the court system, at least I do not think it is especially good at finding the truth. No lawyer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/i-do-not-believe-in-the-court-system-at-least-i-do-not-think-it-is/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [An emotion is a thought, yes, an idea, but it is also a sensation, an ache in your body. Desire, love, hate, fear, repulsion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/an-emotion-is-a-thought-yes-an-idea-but-it-is-also-a-sensation-an/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“You can’t do it alone, that’s the thing. You have to remember there are other people out there who have gone through it, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/you-can-t-do-it-alone-that-s-the-thing-you-have-to-remember-there-are/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“All they got locked up in this hole is my body. That's all they got, my body, not me. I'm everywhere, see? Everywhere you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/all-they-got-locked-up-in-this-hole-is-my-body-that-s-all-they-got-my/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“I rather doubt he had the sense to see the truth: that there are wounds worse than fatal, which the law's little binary distinctions-guilty/innocent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/i-rather-doubt-he-had-the-sense-to-see-the-truth-that-there-are/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“They were chosen for their perfect ignorance of these things. That is how the system works. In the end, the lawyers and judges happily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/they-were-chosen-for-their-perfect-ignorance-of-these-things-that-is/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [Crime and legal stories, broadly speaking, are just where my interest happens to lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/crime-and-legal-stories-broadly-speaking-are-just-where-my-interest/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [When I was 30 or so - by that time I had become an assistant D.A. - I decided I would try to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/when-i-was-30-or-so-by-that-time-i-had-become-an-assistant-d-a-i/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“It was a limitation of human consciousness: We live only in the future and past, we cannot perceive now. Now occupies no space, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/it-was-a-limitation-of-human-consciousness-we-live-only-in-the-future/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“You're staring.' 'You're my wife. I'm allowed to stare.' 'Is that the rule?' 'Yes. Stare, leer, ogle, anything I want. Trust me. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/you-re-staring-you-re-my-wife-i-m-allowed-to-stare-is-that-the-rule/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“It is a common architectural strategy to build courtrooms without windows, to enhance the effect of a chamber isolated from the everyday world, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/it-is-a-common-architectural-strategy-to-build-courtrooms-without/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“but good friendships require complementary personalities, not identical ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/but-good-friendships-require-complementary-personalities-not/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“…I never expected to lose in court. In practice, I did lose, of course. Every lawyer loses, just as every baseball player makes an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/i-never-expected-to-lose-in-court-in-practice-i-did-lose-of-course/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [“Next to me was Jacob, this riddle Laurie and I had made. His size, his resemblance to me, the likelihood that he would fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/next-to-me-was-jacob-this-riddle-laurie-and-i-had-made-his-size-his/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) [Explore all 86 William Landay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) ## More Childish quotes > [I wasted my time on your childish games. But don't worry I will not even try to hate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-f-b-mora/i-wasted-my-time-on-your-childish-games-but-don-t-worry-i-will-not/) [Cynthia F B Mora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-f-b-mora/) > [Childish egocentrism is, in its essence, an inability to differentiate between the ego and the social environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/childish-egocentrism-is-in-its-essence-an-inability-to-differentiate/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and clothes and even handbags, the discussion of fur is childish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/in-a-meat-eating-world-wearing-leather-for-shoes-and-clothes-and-even/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [“KINGDOM OF THE WOMB From her thighs, she gives you life And how you treat she who gives you life Shows how much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/kingdom-of-the-womb-from-her-thighs-she-gives-you-life-and-how-you/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“Age doesn’t make us childish, as they say, It finds that we’re still children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/age-doesn-t-make-us-childish-as-they-say-it-finds-that-we-re-still/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [When we're in that kind of childish space, we're more genuine and feel more comfortable with our friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-spiegel/when-we-re-in-that-kind-of-childish-space-we-re-more-genuine-and-feel/) [Evan Spiegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-spiegel/) > [“Mockery is childish, Beatrice,' She says. 'It does not become you'. 'Mockery is childish, Beatric,' I repeat in my best imitation of her voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mockery-is-childish-beatrice-she-says-it-does-not-become-you-mockery/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [The naive is what is or appears to be natural, individual, or classical to the point of irony or to the point of continuous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/the-naive-is-what-is-or-appears-to-be-natural-individual-or-classical/) [Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/) > [The most powerful men were those who most effectively used the power of adult competence to enforce childish agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-s-trow/the-most-powerful-men-were-those-who-most-effectively-used-the-power/) [George W. S. Trow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-s-trow/) > [“Growing up is childish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/growing-up-is-childish/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [It was childish to feel disappointed, but childishness comes almost as naturally to a man as to a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-was-childish-to-feel-disappointed-but-childishness-comes-almost-as/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [Don't you understand that we need to be childish in order to understand? Only a child sees things with perfect clarity, because it hasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/don-t-you-understand-that-we-need-to-be-childish-in-order-to/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I think it is important to learn to distinguish between being childlike and being childish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-it-is-important-to-learn-to-distinguish-between-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I don't respect thinking that is dangerous, prejudicial, childish, and could get me killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-don-t-respect-thinking-that-is-dangerous-prejudicial-childish-and/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and even clothes, the discussion of fur is childish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/in-a-meat-eating-world-wearing-leather-for-shoes-and-even-clothes-the/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) [Browse all 299 Childish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is a childish realization, I admit—no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can be quite possessed—but after all, we were children.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Landay" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no-one-worth-knowing-can-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Childish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no-one-worth-knowing-can-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/william-landay-7878_childish_it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no_1924040.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/william-landay-7878_childish_it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no_1924040.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d26/william-landay-7878_childish_it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no_1924040.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a childish realization, I admit—no one worth knowing can be quite known, no one worth possessing can…” — William Landay", "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": "William Landay", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is a childish realization, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no-one-worth-knowing-can-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/it-is-a-childish-realization-i-admit-no-one-worth-knowing-can-be/#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 } } ] } ```