---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He might be fifty years old, and would…"
description: "\"“He might be fifty years old, and would have looked young for his age, had not constant work hardened his features, and given him the appearance of a m..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/anthony-trollope-611_psychology_he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-ha_2008740.jpg"
---

#  He might be fifty years old, and would have looked young…

![“He might be fifty years old, and would have looked young for his age, had not constant work hardened his features, and given him the appearance of a machine with a mind. His face was full of intellect, but devoid of natural expression.” quote by Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/anthony-trollope-611_psychology_he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-ha_2008740.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/anthony-trollope-611_psychology_he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-ha_2008740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/anthony-trollope-611_psychology_he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-ha_2008740.jpg)

> ““He might be fifty years old, and would have looked young for his age, had not constant work hardened his features, and given him the appearance of a machine with a mind. His face was full of intellect, but devoid of natural expression.””

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

## About This Quote

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

Hard work can erode natural warmth, making a person appear mechanical despite intellect.

**In simple terms:** Work can make you seem robotic.

Key Takeaway

Balance effort with genuine expression.

Themes

work expression humanity

Mood

reflective somber

Type

literary character analysis

When to use this quote

- professional life
- personal relationships
- leadership
- public speaking

Key Concepts

industrialization psychology identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does constant work affect your personal connections?
- Can you show intellect without losing warmth?

A Different Perspective

May overlook emotional needs, leading to isolation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [“I love him so much, Will!" she managed to whisper shakily. "And he looked old! He looked hungry and old and sad... Is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-love-him-so-much-will-she-managed-to-whisper-shakily-and-he-looked/)

[Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/)

> [The perfect man of old looked after himself first before looking to help others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/the-perfect-man-of-old-looked-after-himself-first-before-looking-to/)

[Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/)

> [He looked very old. He looked, James thought, getting his head now against the Lighthouse, now against the waste of waters running away into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/he-looked-very-old-he-looked-james-thought-getting-his-head-now/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [“The old woman had an old dog, but he hardly counted any more. He was so old that he looked like a stuffed dog.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brautigan/the-old-woman-had-an-old-dog-but-he-hardly-counted-any-more-he-was-so/)

[Richard Brautigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brautigan/)

> [“By the tie I arrived at the clinic I was typically so demoralized I could barely stand. I was twenty-three years old and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-b-smith/by-the-tie-i-arrived-at-the-clinic-i-was-typically-so-demoralized-i/)

[Daniel B. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-b-smith/)

> [“But you know, there's one simple thing I see absolutely clearly, now that I am so very old. I looked at her. The Albert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuala-o-faolain/but-you-know-there-s-one-simple-thing-i-see-absolutely-clearly-now/)

[Nuala O'Faolain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuala-o-faolain/)

> [I knew a lot of men who were brick-layers. They were 50 years old and looked 70. That job ages you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-dore/i-knew-a-lot-of-men-who-were-brick-layers-they-were-50-years-old-and/)

[Jimmy Dore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-dore/)

> [I always had challenges when I was younger, because I looked so young but sounded older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-gugino/i-always-had-challenges-when-i-was-younger-because-i-looked-so-young/)

[Carla Gugino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-gugino/)

> [For so long I looked so young for my age that it's been quite frustrating because in my thirties I was still playing 17-year-olds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-page/for-so-long-i-looked-so-young-for-my-age-that-it-s-been-quite/)

[Joanna Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-page/)

> [“You yourself said there will be horrible consequences if she doesn’t get what she wants. I am not worth starting a war over.” His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/you-yourself-said-there-will-be-horrible-consequences-if-she-doesn-t/)

[Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/)

> [“When the light came, it would fall just so, across his pillow. She’d see his sleeping face in the light: the jackstraw hair, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/when-the-light-came-it-would-fall-just-so-across-his-pillow-she-d-see/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [I'm happy that I'm finally getting some lines in my face. I always looked too young for the kind of roles I wanted. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rockwell/i-m-happy-that-i-m-finally-getting-some-lines-in-my-face-i-always/)

[Sam Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rockwell/)

> [I hope I have a little talent, but a lot of it was luck. I went through setbacks. People said I looked too young,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-couric/i-hope-i-have-a-little-talent-but-a-lot-of-it-was-luck-i-went-through/)

[Katie Couric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-couric/)

> [My first recognition of age setting in was exactly on my 36th birthday. I have no idea why, on this day of all days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulina-porizkova/my-first-recognition-of-age-setting-in-was-exactly-on-my-36th/)

[Paulina Porizkova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulina-porizkova/)

> [“Emma Cordelia Carstairs,” he said. He looked both very young and very old at the same time. There was blood at his throat where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/emma-cordelia-carstairs-he-said-he-looked-both-very-young-and-very/)

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

## More by Anthony Trollope

> [“I have from the first felt sure that the writer, when he sits down to commence his novel, should do so, not because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-have-from-the-first-felt-sure-that-the-writer-when-he-sits-down-to/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [Things to be done offer themselves, I suppose, because they are in themselves desirable; not because it is desirable to have something to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/things-to-be-done-offer-themselves-i-suppose-because-they-are-in/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/a-small-daily-task-if-it-be-really-daily-will-beat-the-labours-of-a/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [You men find so many angels in your travels. You have been honester than some. You have generally been off with the old angel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/you-men-find-so-many-angels-in-your-travels-you-have-been-honester/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [The man who worships mere wealth is a snob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/the-man-who-worships-mere-wealth-is-a-snob/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [To feel that your hours are filled to overflowing, that you can barely steal minutes enough for sleep, that the welfare of many is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/to-feel-that-your-hours-are-filled-to-overflowing-that-you-can-barely/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [It is necessary to get a lot of men together, for the show of the thing, otherwise the world will not believe. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/it-is-necessary-to-get-a-lot-of-men-together-for-the-show-of-the/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [“An accepted lover, who deserves to have been accepted, should devote every hour at his command to his mistress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/an-accepted-lover-who-deserves-to-have-been-accepted-should-devote/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [Wine is valued by its price, not its flavour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/wine-is-valued-by-its-price-not-its-flavour/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [“(On Charles Dickens) It has been the peculiarity and the marvel of this man’s power, that he has invested his puppets with a charm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/on-charles-dickens-it-has-been-the-peculiarity-and-the-marvel-of-this/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [There is no road to wealth so easy and respectable as that of matrimony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/there-is-no-road-to-wealth-so-easy-and-respectable-as-that-of/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [I hold that gentleman to be the best-dressed whose dress no one observes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-hold-that-gentleman-to-be-the-best-dressed-whose-dress-no-one/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [But mad people never die. That's a well-known fact. They've nothing to trouble them, and they live for ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/but-mad-people-never-die-that-s-a-well-known-fact-they-ve-nothing-to/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [Since woman's rights have come up a young woman is better able to fight her own battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/since-woman-s-rights-have-come-up-a-young-woman-is-better-able-to/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

> [“The heroes of life are so much better than the heroes of romance,” said Caroline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/the-heroes-of-life-are-so-much-better-than-the-heroes-of-romance-said/)

[Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

[Explore all 448 Anthony Trollope quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/)

## More Psychology quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/)

[Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

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

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

> [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/)

[Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/)

> [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/)

[Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [No!! Get out of my Head!...You may have invaded my mind and my body...But there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps...his PRIDE!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragon-ball-z/no-get-out-of-my-head-you-may-have-invaded-my-mind-and-my-body-but/)

[Dragon Ball Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragon-ball-z/)

[Browse all 56,059 Psychology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He might be fifty years old, and would have looked young for his age, had not constant work hardened his features, and given him the appearance of a machine with a mind. His face was full of intellect, but devoid of natural expression.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anthony Trollope"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-have-looked-young-for-his-age/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Psychology"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-have-looked-young-for-his-age/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/anthony-trollope-611_psychology_he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-ha_2008740.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/anthony-trollope-611_psychology_he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-ha_2008740.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/anthony-trollope-611_psychology_he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-ha_2008740.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He might be fifty years old, and would have looked young for his age, had not constant work hardened his…” — Anthony Trollope",
                "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": "Anthony Trollope",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He might be fifty years old,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-have-looked-young-for-his-age/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/he-might-be-fifty-years-old-and-would-have-looked-young-for-his-age/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
