---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The young rarely believe that they will…"
description: "\"“The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get what they want, because there is always an open future.”\" — Alexander McCall Smith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/alexander-mccall-smith-372_rarely_the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will_2758812.png"
---

#  The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get…

![“The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get what they want, because there is always an open future.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/alexander-mccall-smith-372_rarely_the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will_2758812.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/alexander-mccall-smith-372_rarely_the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will_2758812.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/alexander-mccall-smith-372_rarely_the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will_2758812.png)

> ““The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get what they want, because there is always an open future.””

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Youth optimism stems from belief in limitless possibilities and an open future.

**In simple terms:** Young people expect endless possibilities.

Key Takeaway

Maintain hope and openness.

Themes

optimism future orientation psychology

Mood

hopeful inspirational

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- career planning
- personal goal setting
- creative projects
- risk taking

Key Concepts

growth mindset possibility thinking self‑efficacy

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance hope with realistic planning?
- What steps keep your future outlook open?

A Different Perspective

Overconfidence may lead to unrealistic expectations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I knew enough about adults to know that if did tell them what had happened, I would not be believed. Adults rarely seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-knew-enough-about-adults-to-know-that-if-did-tell-them-what-had/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [I rarely believe anything, because at the time of believing I am not really there to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-rarely-believe-anything-because-at-the-time-of-believing-i-am-not/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [People don't believe what you tell them. They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/people-don-t-believe-what-you-tell-them-they-rarely-believe-what-you/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [The true you does not need to seek validation to fix the past. It needs you to be open to the now, which will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-maylyn/the-true-you-does-not-need-to-seek-validation-to-fix-the-past-it/)

[Danielle Maylyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-maylyn/)

> [We need to open up the future. We also need to keep everything valuable from the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eaton/we-need-to-open-up-the-future-we-also-need-to-keep-everything/)

[John Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eaton/)

> [“Nothing has ever opened up and nothing will open up in the future too for the unkind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/nothing-has-ever-opened-up-and-nothing-will-open-up-in-the-future-too/)

[Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/)

> [When the past is certain to be left to collect dust they will only be able to open into the future. The first spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fated-to-love/when-the-past-is-certain-to-be-left-to-collect-dust-they-will-only-be/)

Fated To Love

> [To be free is not to have the power to do anything you like; it is to be able to surpass the given toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/to-be-free-is-not-to-have-the-power-to-do-anything-you-like-it-is-to/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [In reality, I don't see myself as a man hunter. In fact, when it comes to love, I am rarely the one to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bruni/in-reality-i-don-t-see-myself-as-a-man-hunter-in-fact-when-it-comes/)

[Carla Bruni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bruni/)

> [The way you think you spend your time and the way you actually spend your time are rarely the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-merrill/the-way-you-think-you-spend-your-time-and-the-way-you-actually-spend/)

[Douglas Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-merrill/)

> [I love to sleep late, and I rarely have the chance to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izabel-goulart/i-love-to-sleep-late-and-i-rarely-have-the-chance-to/)

[Izabel Goulart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izabel-goulart/)

> [I don't wear perfume, and I rarely wear jewelry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-wear-perfume-and-i-rarely-wear-jewelry/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am rarely bored alone; I am often bored in groups and crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/i-am-rarely-bored-alone-i-am-often-bored-in-groups-and-crowds/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [People who jump to conclusions rarely alight on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-guedalla/people-who-jump-to-conclusions-rarely-alight-on-them/)

[Philip Guedalla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-guedalla/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

## More by Alexander McCall Smith

> [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

[Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

## More Rarely quotes

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [People who jump to conclusions rarely alight on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-guedalla/people-who-jump-to-conclusions-rarely-alight-on-them/)

[Philip Guedalla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-guedalla/)

> [I am rarely bored alone; I am often bored in groups and crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/i-am-rarely-bored-alone-i-am-often-bored-in-groups-and-crowds/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [I don't wear perfume, and I rarely wear jewelry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-wear-perfume-and-i-rarely-wear-jewelry/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I love to sleep late, and I rarely have the chance to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izabel-goulart/i-love-to-sleep-late-and-i-rarely-have-the-chance-to/)

[Izabel Goulart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izabel-goulart/)

> [The way you think you spend your time and the way you actually spend your time are rarely the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-merrill/the-way-you-think-you-spend-your-time-and-the-way-you-actually-spend/)

[Douglas Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-merrill/)

> [In reality, I don't see myself as a man hunter. In fact, when it comes to love, I am rarely the one to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bruni/in-reality-i-don-t-see-myself-as-a-man-hunter-in-fact-when-it-comes/)

[Carla Bruni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bruni/)

> [I rarely indulge in sweet things but when I do I do not like to share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karren-brady/i-rarely-indulge-in-sweet-things-but-when-i-do-i-do-not-like-to-share/)

[Karren Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karren-brady/)

> [You rarely see any blowout games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-arrieta/you-rarely-see-any-blowout-games/)

[Jake Arrieta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-arrieta/)

> [I write very rarely. Only, in fact, when the sheet of paper suffers an existential crisis and threatens, if I don't surrender to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-dimoula/i-write-very-rarely-only-in-fact-when-the-sheet-of-paper-suffers-an/)

[Kiki Dimoula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-dimoula/)

> [“Yet love was not something to be thrown aside lightly. It came so rarely, only a few times in a mortal life. Some- times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/yet-love-was-not-something-to-be-thrown-aside-lightly-it-came-so/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [My first job was in a nursing home - a terrible place in retrospect. It was in an old house, and the residents were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/my-first-job-was-in-a-nursing-home-a-terrible-place-in-retrospect-it/)

[Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/)

> [I have always been considered to be the most German among Italian economists, which I always received as a compliment, but was rarely meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-monti/i-have-always-been-considered-to-be-the-most-german-among-italian/)

[Mario Monti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-monti/)

> [Science fiction rarely is about scientists doing real science, in its slowness, its vagueness, the sort of tedious quality of getting out there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/science-fiction-rarely-is-about-scientists-doing-real-science-in-its/)

[Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/)

> [“Women, intelligent or not, were rarely reasonable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-alexander/women-intelligent-or-not-were-rarely-reasonable/)

[Victoria Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-alexander/)

Browse all 729 Rarely quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get what they want, because there is always an open future.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alexander McCall Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will-not-be-able-to-get-what-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Rarely"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will-not-be-able-to-get-what-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/alexander-mccall-smith-372_rarely_the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will_2758812.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/alexander-mccall-smith-372_rarely_the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will_2758812.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b4/alexander-mccall-smith-372_rarely_the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will_2758812.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The young rarely believe that they will not be able to get what they want, because there is always an open…” — Alexander McCall Smith",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alexander McCall Smith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The young rarely believe that they...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will-not-be-able-to-get-what-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-young-rarely-believe-that-they-will-not-be-able-to-get-what-they/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
