proverb · Words worth keeping
No wise man ever wishes to be younger.
No wise man ever wishes to be younger.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying denies that a wise man ever wishes to be younger. It ties wisdom to accepting one’s present age.
What the words are saying
No and ever make the value judgment absolute. A critical interpretation can discuss appreciating present experience without treating a wish for youth as foolish. The supplied account of age-related difficulties does not prove what every wise person wants or establish a particular person’s condition.
Everyday example
Someone values experience while acknowledging mixed feelings about age rather than judging those feelings as failure.
When to use it
Use it to examine an age-and-wisdom ideal critically.
What it does not mean
A wish for youth does not establish foolishness or lack of wisdom.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 376; PDF page 57
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.