Youth is Wasted on the Young

2022-04-21

Underneath the quippy quote is a long history of refinement and streamlining. Compare this version to the oldest analog from George Bernard Shaw:

“Youth,” he replied, “is the most beautiful thing in this world—and what a pity that it has to be wasted on children!”

At times, the gradual refinement loses the color of the original, as "blood, sweat, and tears" does to Churchill's more visceral "blood, toil, tears, and sweat." And at times the refinement loses the meat of the original, as the punchy airport-MBA quote about motivating a team to "yearn for the vast and endless sea" misses the real mechanics of what the quote means for organizations and team-building.

But sometimes the ages are lucky and spit out a true gem, though the modern times might hardly care for it. Youth, indeed, is wasted on the young.