At times is it seems that I am living my life backward, and that at the approach of old age my real youth will begin. My soul was born covered with wrinkles- wrinkles that my ancestors and parents most assiduously put there and that I had the greatest trouble removing.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author feels his true self is buried under inherited expectations and only feels alive as he ages.
- In plain terms
- I feel old inside because of my family, but I hope to finally be myself as I get older.
- What can you take from it?
- True self-discovery often happens later in life after shedding inherited burdens.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What burdens did you inherit from your parents?
- When do you feel most like yourself?
Another view
This view romanticizes aging while ignoring the physical decline that often accompanies it.
More from Andre Gide
Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.
Permalink to quote #15 Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
Permalink to quote #17 A straight path never leads anywhere except to the objective.
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