---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He is of what is called the old school…"
description: "\"“He is of what is called the old school - a phrase generally meaning any school that seems never to have been young.”\" — Charles Dickens"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/charles-dickens-34_old-school_he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a_599596.jpg"
---

#  He is of what is called the old school - a phrase…

![“He is of what is called the old school - a phrase generally meaning any school that seems never to have been young.” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/charles-dickens-34_old-school_he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a_599596.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/charles-dickens-34_old-school_he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a_599596.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/charles-dickens-34_old-school_he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a_599596.jpg)

> ““He is of what is called the old school - a phrase generally meaning any school that seems never to have been young.””

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

## About This Quote

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

The “old school” refers to traditions that never felt youthful, implying stagnation.

**In simple terms:** Old school means never youthful.

Key Takeaway

Embrace change, avoid stagnation.

Themes

tradition stagnation generational change

Mood

critical thought‑provoking

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- education reform
- organizational culture

Key Concepts

cultural inertia historical perspective

Questions to Reflect On

- What “old school” habits hold you back?
- How can tradition be revitalized?

A Different Perspective

Old habits may resist necessary innovation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Old school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-school/)

## Related quotes

> [A person is always startled when he hears himself called old for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes/a-person-is-always-startled-when-he-hears-himself-called-old-for-the/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes/)

> [It is so comic to hear oneself called old, even at ninety I suppose!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-james/it-is-so-comic-to-hear-oneself-called-old-even-at-ninety-i-suppose/)

[Alice James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-james/)

> [“As a kid, I thought the song Auld Lang Syne was called Old Man's Eye. I like my version better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/as-a-kid-i-thought-the-song-auld-lang-syne-was-called-old-man-s-eye-i/)

[Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/)

> [A person is always startled when he hears himself seriously called an old man for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-sr-2/a-person-is-always-startled-when-he-hears-himself-seriously-called-an/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-sr-2/)

> [“My Lord... what is Death like?" called the old man tremulously. "When I have investigated it fully, I will let you know," came the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/my-lord-what-is-death-like-called-the-old-man-tremulously-when-i-have/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [We must be compelled to hold this doctrine to be false, and the old and new law called the Old and New Testament, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/we-must-be-compelled-to-hold-this-doctrine-to-be-false-and-the-old/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [The Ancient Mariner would not have taken so well if it had been called The Old Sailor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-ancient-mariner-would-not-have-taken-so-well-if-it-had-been/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [I would say there's about 10 people who know that, that my car was called 'Old Sock.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/i-would-say-there-s-about-10-people-who-know-that-that-my-car-was/)

[Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/)

> [We have been called old rockers, rock pensioners, and dinosaurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/we-have-been-called-old-rockers-rock-pensioners-and-dinosaurs/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [I started culinary school at a very young age, and really I wanted to be out working, cooking, more than I wanted to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-started-culinary-school-at-a-very-young-age-and-really-i-wanted-to/)

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

> [Family is the first school for young children, and parents are powerful models.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sterling-honig/family-is-the-first-school-for-young-children-and-parents-are/)

Alice Sterling Honig

> [When a young person is not eating three meals a day but still getting perfect grades at school, or when a young person deals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/when-a-young-person-is-not-eating-three-meals-a-day-but-still-getting/)

[Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/)

> [In five years, I completed grade school. Even when I was a young boy, I had a plan for my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sy/in-five-years-i-completed-grade-school-even-when-i-was-a-young-boy-i/)

[Henry Sy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sy/)

> [Unless you have been to boarding-school when you are very young, it is absolutely impossible to appreciate the delights of living at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/unless-you-have-been-to-boarding-school-when-you-are-very-young-it-is/)

[Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/)

> [I expect that you must receive top marks at school, young lady." Madeleine smiled as she stirred her tea. "There are always rewards for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/i-expect-that-you-must-receive-top-marks-at-school-young-lady/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

## More by Charles Dickens

> [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

[Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

## More Old school quotes

> [Im not bold legged but old school like red fox. My favorite colour in my hustle days was red tops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/im-not-bold-legged-but-old-school-like-red-fox-my-favorite-colour-in/)

[Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/)

> [When a very tough, old school leader announced that I was his pick to be Chief of Station in a small but important frontier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/when-a-very-tough-old-school-leader-announced-that-i-was-his-pick-to/)

[Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/)

> [It's bluesy, rocky jazz. I call it soul music, but it's not James Brown soul music. It comes from my soul. It comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinsel-korey/it-s-bluesy-rocky-jazz-i-call-it-soul-music-but-it-s-not-james-brown/)

[Tinsel Korey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinsel-korey/)

> [“Whatand why were never questions for me. How was the only question. When I look back now, I realize that I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/whatand-why-were-never-questions-for-me-how-was-the-only-question/)

[Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/)

> [I wanted to do a talk show that reminded me of the old school ones I loved as a kid, without all the fake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-wanted-to-do-a-talk-show-that-reminded-me-of-the-old-school-ones-i/)

[Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/)

> [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/)

[Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/)

> [I'm old school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-old-school/)

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

> [I'm an old school guy and love the guys in the monster suits and JAWS; even though everyone makes fun of the shark I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-fessenden/i-m-an-old-school-guy-and-love-the-guys-in-the-monster-suits-and-jaws/)

[Larry Fessenden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-fessenden/)

> [If you call 'Rapper's Delight' an old-school record, I agree with you. If you call Sugar Hill Gang old school, I agree with you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-daddy-kane/if-you-call-rapper-s-delight-an-old-school-record-i-agree-with-you-if/)

[Big Daddy Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-daddy-kane/)

> [I am a bit old-school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-kay/i-am-a-bit-old-school/)

[Jay Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-kay/)

> [I like to be like the old-school guys. They played hard, man, and they played from the heart. They didn't play to just get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-crawford/i-like-to-be-like-the-old-school-guys-they-played-hard-man-and-they/)

[Carl Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-crawford/)

> [I like Kelela. I like Twigs. I love the more old school; I hate to say old school, but I love Peaches; I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neneh-cherry/i-like-kelela-i-like-twigs-i-love-the-more-old-school-i-hate-to-say/)

[Neneh Cherry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neneh-cherry/)

> [It's very rare that an older comedian sort of slips into an old-school clunker. You know, you don't hear too much of that anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-ross/it-s-very-rare-that-an-older-comedian-sort-of-slips-into-an-old/)

[Jeff Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-ross/)

> [I know Camberwell very well: I used to go to Camberwell New Baths a lot and the cinema, which used to be the Odeon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simonon/i-know-camberwell-very-well-i-used-to-go-to-camberwell-new-baths-a/)

[Paul Simonon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simonon/)

> [It's going back to old school, the way it was done and I'm finding out there is something different, a little interesting. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-tillman-jr/it-s-going-back-to-old-school-the-way-it-was-done-and-i-m-finding-out/)

[George Tillman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-tillman-jr/)

[Browse all 508 Old school quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-school/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He is of what is called the old school - a phrase generally meaning any school that seems never to have been young.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Dickens"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a-phrase-generally-meaning-any/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Old school"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a-phrase-generally-meaning-any/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/charles-dickens-34_old-school_he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a_599596.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/charles-dickens-34_old-school_he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a_599596.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/charles-dickens-34_old-school_he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a_599596.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He is of what is called the old school - a phrase generally meaning any school that seems never to have been…” — Charles Dickens",
                "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": "Charles Dickens",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He is of what is called...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a-phrase-generally-meaning-any/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/he-is-of-what-is-called-the-old-school-a-phrase-generally-meaning-any/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
