My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding and the baby at every christening.
I've always believed in the adage that the secret of eternal youth is arrested development.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that maintaining a youthful spirit involves not fully maturing or embracing conventional adulthood.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth's quote reflects her belief that the essence of eternal youth can be found in resisting the complete embrace of adult responsibilities and societal expectations. By advocating for 'arrested development', she implies that a playful, curious, and whimsical approach to life keeps one feeling young, hinting at the idea that emotional and mental growth should not come at the expense of joy and light-heartedness.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of creativity, one might quote this to emphasize the value of keeping a youthful mindset.
More from Alice Roosevelt Longworth
All quotes βIf you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me.
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