What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
If at age 20 you are not a Communist then you have no heart. If at age 30 you are not a Capitalist then you have no brains.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that youthful idealism is often associated with emotional fervor, while adulthood brings the necessity of pragmatic thinking.
George Bernard Shaw's quote reflects the transition from youthful passion to adult pragmatism, implying that in one's twenties, one is likely to be driven by ideals and emotional beliefs such as communism. By the thirties, however, the need for financial stability and practicality tends to lead individuals towards capitalist ideas, suggesting that one must adapt their mindset in accordance with maturity and life experience.
Themes
CommunismCapitalismYouthMaturityPhilosophyEconomics
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a political discussion to illustrate the evolution of beliefs from youth to adulthood.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes →Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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