The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right.
Henry Ward BeecherRead
A conservative young man has wound up his life before it was unreeled. We expect old men to be conservative but when a nation's young men are so, its funeral bell is already rung.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that young people should embrace change and innovation, rather than conforming to conservative values too early in life.
Henry Ward Beecher highlights the dangers of a conservative mindset among the youth, indicating that when young individuals adopt rigid beliefs and resist change, they stifle their own potential and the progress of society. This stagnation is detrimental, as it suggests a lack of growth and adaptability, essential qualities for the vitality of a nation. If young people are already set in their ways, it signals a bleak future where innovation and evolution are hindered by outdated perspectives.
Themes
ConservatismYouthChangeInnovationProgress
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about youth empowerment, one might cite this quote to emphasize the importance of adaptability.
More from Henry Ward Beecher
All quotes →A man who cannot get angry is like a stream that cannot overflow, that is always turbid. Sometimes indignation is as good as a thunderstorm in summer, clearing and cooling the air.
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No one can deal with the hearts of men unless he has the sympathy which is given by love.
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We are always on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things.
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No man can tell if he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.
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There are joys which long to be ours. God sends ten thousands truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, and then fly away.
Henry Ward BeecherRead
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