Youth Quote by Augustine of Hippo
““But I, a most wretched youth, most wretched from the very start of my youth, had even sought chastity from you, and had said, “Give me chastity and continence, but not yet!” For I feared that you would hear me quickly, and that quickly you would heal me of that disease of lust, which I wished to have satisfied rather than extinguished””
About This Quote
Source Sermon: Confessions, Book 7, 397 AD
Desire for immediate restraint can paradoxically intensify the very temptation one seeks to avoid.
In simple terms: Wanting control too soon fuels desire.
Key Takeaway
Practice patience and gradual self‑discipline.
Themes
self‑control
temptation
spiritual growth
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
spiritual
philosophical
When to use this quote
- addiction recovery
- young adult moral dilemmas
Key Concepts
Augustinian theology
psychology of desire
Questions to Reflect On
- What small steps can you take toward self‑control?
- How does patience affect temptation?
A Different Perspective
Immediate restraint may be unrealistic without support.
![“Time takes no holiday. It does not roll idly by, but through our senses works its own wonders in the mind. Time came and went from one day to the next; in its coming and its passing it brought me other hopes and other memories. [quoted in Peter Brown, Augustine of Hippo, p. 54]” quote by Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c2/augustine-of-hippo-2589_change_time-takes-no-holiday-it-does-not-roll-i_22609.jpg)
