It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- It is wrong to limit play to childhood and work to middle age, as life stages overlap in value.
- In plain terms
- Don't box play, work, and regret into specific ages.
- What can you take from it?
- Life stages should not be rigidly defined.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What would a balanced life look like?
- How do current norms limit you?
Another view
Physical capacity does change with age.
More from Margaret Mead
It is an open question whether any behavior based on fear of eternal punishment can be regarded as ethical or should be regarded as merely cowardly.
Permalink to quote #32 I've been married three times- and each time I married the right person.
Permalink to quote #34 It has been a woman's task throughout history to go on believing in life when there was almost no hope.
Permalink to quote #31
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