If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
Now that I am sixty, I see why the idea of elder wisdom has passed from currency.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Elder wisdom is often undervalued or dismissed in modern society.
In this quote, John Updike reflects on the perceived decline of respect for the insights and experiences of the elderly. As he reaches sixty, he acknowledges that the traditional notion of 'elder wisdom' seems to have lost relevance in a fast-paced world that often prioritizes youth and innovation over the life lessons gathered through age, suggesting a societal shift in valuing knowledge and experience.
Themes
WisdomAgeExperienceSocietyRespect
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the importance of mentorship, one might say this quote to emphasize the undervalued insights of older generations.
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Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
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But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.
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The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
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To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
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