Age Quote by Christopher Hitchens
![“[O]ne has to have endured a few decades before wanting, let alone needing, to embark on the project of recovering lost life. And I think it may be possible to review 'the chronicles of wasted time.' William Morris wrote in The Dream of John Ball that men fight for things and then lose the battle…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/53d/christopher-hitchens-117_age_o-ne-has-to-have-endured-a-few-decades-b_1102939.jpg)
““[O]ne has to have endured a few decades before wanting, let alone needing, to embark on the project of recovering lost life. And I think it may be possible to review 'the chronicles of wasted time.' William Morris wrote in The Dream of John Ball that men fight for things and then lose the battle, only to win it again in a shape and form that they had not expected, and then be compelled again to defend it under another name. We are all of us very good at self-persuasion and I strive to be alert to its traps, but a version of what Hegel called 'the cunning of history' is a parallel commentary that I fight to keep alive in my mind.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Unpublished reflections, 2005
Life’s later years bring a desire to reclaim lost time, recognizing history’s hidden patterns and self‑deception.
In simple terms: Later life seeks to recover wasted time, aware of history’s tricks.
Key Takeaway
Reflect on past choices and avoid self‑delusion.
Themes
reflection
history
self‑awareness
Mood
contemplative
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career retrospection
- personal growth
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
cunning of history
self‑persuasion
time management
Questions to Reflect On
- What “wasted time” do you wish to reclaim?
- How does history’s cunning affect your decisions?
A Different Perspective
Personal narratives can be selective.
![“The stream of Time, irresistible, ever moving, carries off and bears away all things that come to birth and plunges them into utter darkness, both deeds of no account and deeds which are mighty and worthy of commemoration; as the playwright [Sophocles] says, it 'brings to light that which was…” quote by Anna Comnena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/50d/anna-comnena-70382_history_the-stream-of-time-irresistible-ever-mov_1332809.jpg)
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
![“[Religion] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we would not know an evil, wicked act from a decent human act without divine permission, without divine authority or without, even worse, either the fear of a…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab6/christopher-hitchens-117_action_religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integ_23299.jpg)
