--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Middle age has been defined as what…" description: "\"Middle age has been defined as what happens when a person's broad mind and narrow waist change places.\" — A.C. Grayling" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/a-c-grayling-9398_age_middle-age-has-been-defined-as-what-happ_1821308.png" --- # Middle age has been defined as what happens when a… ![“Middle age has been defined as what happens when a person's broad mind and narrow waist change places.” quote by A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/a-c-grayling-9398_age_middle-age-has-been-defined-as-what-happ_1821308.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/a-c-grayling-9398_age_middle-age-has-been-defined-as-what-happ_1821308.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/a-c-grayling-9398_age_middle-age-has-been-defined-as-what-happ_1821308.png) > “Middle age has been defined as what happens when a person's broad mind and narrow waist change places.” [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Aging often swaps mental breadth for physical narrowness, highlighting shifting priorities. **In simple terms:** Mind expands, body contracts with age. Key Takeaway Prioritize mental growth over physical concerns. Themes aging mind‑body life stages wisdom humor Mood reflective humorous Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career transitions - health planning - creative pursuits - learning - social engagement Key Concepts philosophy psychology biology Questions to Reflect On - How can we support physical health while nurturing the mind? - What activities sustain mental agility? A Different Perspective Physical decline can limit opportunities despite mental growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Broad Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broad-mind-1948219/) [Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-age/) [Middle ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-ages/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Narrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-narrow-350044/) [Person Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-broad-2196498/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Middle age is when your broad mind and narrow waist begin to change places.Middle Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-joseph-cossman-2/middle-age-is-when-your-broad-mind-and-narrow-waist-begin-to-change-2/) [E Joseph Cossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-joseph-cossman-2/) > [Middle age is when your broad mind and narrow waist begin to change places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-joseph-cossman/middle-age-is-when-your-broad-mind-and-narrow-waist-begin-to-change/) [E. 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It is not a quality of intelligence that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/for-if-the-modern-mind-is-whimsical-and-discursive-the-classical-mind/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [ “\[Re: J. Edgar Hoover\] His knowledge was enormous, though his mind was narrow.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-weiner/re-j-edgar-hoover-his-knowledge-was-enormous-though-his-mind-was/) [Tim Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-weiner/) > [“The incessant concentration of thought upon one subject, however interesting, tethers a man's mind in a narrow field.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-incessant-concentration-of-thought-upon-one-subject-however/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [“Senescence begins And middle-age ends The day your descendants Outnumber your friends”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/senescence-begins-and-middle-age-ends-the-day-your-descendants/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [After sixty, the self-questioning of middle age is obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/after-sixty-the-self-questioning-of-middle-age-is-obsolete/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [A man's diary is a record in youth of his sentiments, in middle age of his actions, in old age of his reflections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/a-man-s-diary-is-a-record-in-youth-of-his-sentiments-in-middle-age-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [What folly made young people, even those in middle age, think they were immortal? 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Well, as it turned out, I never wrote a great novel, sadly, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-burchill/as-a-precocious-teen-i-dreamed-of-being-graham-greene-well-as-it/) [Julie Burchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-burchill/) > [Well, He had known what love was-a sharp pang, a fierce experience, in the midst of whose flames he was struggling! but, through that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/well-he-had-known-what-love-was-a-sharp-pang-a-fierce-experience-in/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) ## More by A.C. Grayling > [“I to je zapravo sustina proslavljanja Dana sv. Valentina:san o ljubavi. Zivot bi zaista bio gorak kada se san nikada ne bi ostvario ili…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/i-to-je-zapravo-sustina-proslavljanja-dana-sv-valentina-san-o-ljubavi/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/to-read-is-to-fly-it-is-to-soar-to-a-point-of-vantage-which-gives-a/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [Inculcating the various competing - competing, note - falsehoods of the major faiths into small children is a form of child abuse, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/inculcating-the-various-competing-competing-note-falsehoods-of-the/) [A.C. 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I read everything and I went back to him with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/when-i-was-14-a-chaplain-at-school-gave-me-a-reading-list-i-read/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [ Perhaps worse still is what liberal societies might do to themselves in the face of this new and different threat \[of terrorism\]. They begin,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/perhaps-worse-still-is-what-liberal-societies-might-do-to-themselves/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [Christian churches and Muslim groups have no more right to have their say than women's institutes or trades unions. The government has actively encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/christian-churches-and-muslim-groups-have-no-more-right-to-have-their/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [Everybody is entitled to believe. Churches have exactly the same right to exist as a football club, a trade union or a political party.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/everybody-is-entitled-to-believe-churches-have-exactly-the-same-right/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [“The notion that evil is non-rational is a more significant claim for Eagleton than at first appears, because he is (in this book \[…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/the-notion-that-evil-is-non-rational-is-a-more-significant-claim-for/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [And I say, the meaning of life is what you make it. There will be as many different meaningful lives as there are people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/and-i-say-the-meaning-of-life-is-what-you-make-it-there-will-be-as/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [“Hatred is a sentiment that leads to the extinction of values. ORTEGA Y GASSET”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/hatred-is-a-sentiment-that-leads-to-the-extinction-of-values-ortega-y/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [Behave in life as at a dinner party. Is anything brought around to you? Put out your hand and take your share with moderation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/behave-in-life-as-at-a-dinner-party-is-anything-brought-around-to-you/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) [Explore all 73 A.C. Grayling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Middle age has been defined as what happens when a person's broad mind and narrow waist change places.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A.C. 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