Youth is wasted on the young.
Everyone has heard the phrase and understands what it expresses. The seemingly limitless vitality, energy, vigor, time, curiosity, bravado, and optimism inherent in a stage of life are also tainted by a glaring failure to capitalize on those attributes due to a lack of experience and wisdom, resulting in squandered opportunities, misguided pursuits, and wasted time.
Although I acknowledge the general truth within the expression, I don’t like it much. Those who utter the expression rarely, if ever, wish to communicate anything spiritual. Thus, the phrase comes off as too cynical, too regret-infused, too this-worldly, and too hedonistic in focus.
There’s also the whole obsession with youth, but I won’t go into that here.
How about this instead?
Old age is wasted on the old.
Now there’s a phrase that could offer immense spiritual benefit to many, provided they sincerely consider the spiritual implications.
Everyone has heard the phrase and understands what it expresses. The seemingly limitless vitality, energy, vigor, time, curiosity, bravado, and optimism inherent in a stage of life are also tainted by a glaring failure to capitalize on those attributes due to a lack of experience and wisdom, resulting in squandered opportunities, misguided pursuits, and wasted time.
Although I acknowledge the general truth within the expression, I don’t like it much. Those who utter the expression rarely, if ever, wish to communicate anything spiritual. Thus, the phrase comes off as too cynical, too regret-infused, too this-worldly, and too hedonistic in focus.
There’s also the whole obsession with youth, but I won’t go into that here.
How about this instead?
Old age is wasted on the old.
Now there’s a phrase that could offer immense spiritual benefit to many, provided they sincerely consider the spiritual implications.
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