Quote Image - Desktop Image
Quote Image- Mobile Image
Email pink icon
Get the Daily Inspiration in your inbox

By subscribing to Inspiring Quotes you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Sunday, September 3, 2023

No wise man ever wished to be younger.

Separator icon
Jonathan Swift

Throughout his adulthood, Dublin-born satirist and author Jonathan Swift suffered from an inner ear disorder that resulted in vertigo spells and hearing loss. Meniere’s disease, the culprit, did not receive a name during his lifetime. The uncertainty surrounding his ailment likely spurred Swift to ponder aging when the majority of his years lay ahead of him. In 1699, at age 32, he crafted an amusing list called, “When I Come to Be Old.” Yet this particular quote came later in Swift’s life, appearing in the essay “Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting.” In Swift’s time (like ours), people constantly yearned for their youth. To him, that was a foolish, fruitless impulse. Swift contended that discerning individuals savor the understanding that maturity brings.

Play more header background
Play more icon
Daily Question
What artist said, "You have to have a kind of nerve"?
More Inspiration
Featured Articles