--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was young and physically fit and I…" description: "\"“I was young and physically fit and I struggled here, so I had a deep respect for the older people, and those with disabilities, who returned class aft..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/edward-burke-110770_older-people_i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-str_877378.jpg" --- # I was young and physically fit and I struggled here, so I… ![“I was young and physically fit and I struggled here, so I had a deep respect for the older people, and those with disabilities, who returned class after class in spite of their pain and their physical limitations.” quote by Edward Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/edward-burke-110770_older-people_i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-str_877378.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/edward-burke-110770_older-people_i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-str_877378.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/edward-burke-110770_older-people_i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-str_877378.jpg) > ““I was young and physically fit and I struggled here, so I had a deep respect for the older people, and those with disabilities, who returned class after class in spite of their pain and their physical limitations.”” [Edward Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker, once physically fit, now respects older people and those with disabilities who persevere despite pain and limitations. **In simple terms:** He admires resilient older and disabled individuals. Key Takeaway Honor perseverance despite challenges. Themes respect age disability perseverance empathy Mood respectful inspirational thoughtful Type respect age disability perseverance empathy:1 Struggled:0 People Disabilities:0 Disabilities Returned:0 Fit Struggled:0 Respect Older:0 When to use this quote - community volunteering - senior care - accessible design - personal fitness programs Key Concepts social inclusion resilience ageism health determination Questions to Reflect On - How can societies better support aging and disabled populations? - What biases affect our view of resilience? A Different Perspective Not all older or disabled people are active; stereotypes may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disabilities Returned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disabilities-returned-1017957/) [Fit Struggled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit-struggled-1017958/) [Older people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-people/) [People Disabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-disabilities/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respect Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-older-1017959/) [Struggled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggled/) ## Related quotes > [Most young people have tremendous respect for older people's views.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/most-young-people-have-tremendous-respect-for-older-people-s-views/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [“Talia: I was brought up to respect older people and peasants...not that you're... Jack: (clears throat) Quit while you’re ahead Meryl: Ahead? She just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-flinn/talia-i-was-brought-up-to-respect-older-people-and-peasants-not-that/) [Alex Flinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-flinn/) > [I'm doing the best I can with the ravages of time on my body and I'm a work in progress. I can't write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-dell-orefice/i-m-doing-the-best-i-can-with-the-ravages-of-time-on-my-body-and-i-m/) [Carmen Dell'Orefice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-dell-orefice/) > [“he is not a member of us who does not show the mercy to smaller than him and respect to the older.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-is-not-a-member-of-us-who-does-not-show-the-mercy-to-smaller-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I respect the older guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-respect-the-older-guys/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [The less respect an older person deserves the more certain he is to demand it from anyone younger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-less-respect-an-older-person-deserves-the-more-certain-he-is-to/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Respect those who are older than you, So that they may honor you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jervin-balmediano/respect-those-who-are-older-than-you-so-that-they-may-honor-you/) [Jervin Balmediano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jervin-balmediano/) > [I'm the type of guy that always respect the older rappers who paved the way for us to get here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/playboi-carti/i-m-the-type-of-guy-that-always-respect-the-older-rappers-who-paved/) [Playboi Carti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/playboi-carti/) > [Respect the older folks even if they act like they don't deserve it, they have lived long enough to deserve some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/respect-the-older-folks-even-if-they-act-like-they-don-t-deserve-it/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I find personally that when I go to a place where I can't get in, I feel hostility from whatever it is, a hotel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/i-find-personally-that-when-i-go-to-a-place-where-i-can-t-get-in-i/) [Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/) > [Disabled people need more invested in their education, housing, job training, transportation, assistive technology, and independent-living facilities. Governments earn back this investment - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/disabled-people-need-more-invested-in-their-education-housing-job/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [A lot of roles for people with disabilities are quite patronising. It's a real pity when they are just used to give dull PC…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/a-lot-of-roles-for-people-with-disabilities-are-quite-patronising-it/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [Autistic people's disabilities are widely known, but one of their best-established strengths is their attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-baron-cohen/autistic-people-s-disabilities-are-widely-known-but-one-of-their-best/) [Simon Baron-Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-baron-cohen/) > [There's a wide variety of diversity, with people that have disabilities from R.J. Mitte in 'Breaking Bad' to Danny Woodburn being a little man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-brewer/there-s-a-wide-variety-of-diversity-with-people-that-have/) [Jamie Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-brewer/) > [It feels amazing to be a role model for people with and without disabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-potter/it-feels-amazing-to-be-a-role-model-for-people-with-and-without/) [Lauren Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-potter/) ## More by Edward Burke > [“People who don't want to do anything that doesn't come to them immediately rarely learn anything worthwhile”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burke/people-who-don-t-want-to-do-anything-that-doesn-t-come-to-them/) [Edward Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burke/) [Explore all 2 Edward Burke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burke/) ## More Older people quotes > [If younger people see older people who haven't planned ahead and have to rely on charity, the young will be more likely to provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/if-younger-people-see-older-people-who-haven-t-planned-ahead-and-have/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [We don't do enough to help older people recognize how much they matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/we-don-t-do-enough-to-help-older-people-recognize-how-much-they-matter/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [I always hung out with older people. I would be the youngest out of the crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunna/i-always-hung-out-with-older-people-i-would-be-the-youngest-out-of/) [Gunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunna/) > [Fear is a huge thing for older people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/fear-is-a-huge-thing-for-older-people/) [James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/) > [When I hear music that parents hate, or older musicians hate, I know that's the new music. When I hear older people saying, 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clinton/when-i-hear-music-that-parents-hate-or-older-musicians-hate-i-know/) [George Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clinton/) > [“And I am overwhelmed now by the awfulness of over-simplification. For now I realize that not only have I been guilty of it through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-macleod/and-i-am-overwhelmed-now-by-the-awfulness-of-over-simplification-for/) [Alistair MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-macleod/) > [I always had an affinity for older people. I had a job delivering newspapers, and one place I had to go was an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/i-always-had-an-affinity-for-older-people-i-had-a-job-delivering/) [John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/) > [Grown men can learn from very little children for the hearts of little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/grown-men-can-learn-from-very-little-children-for-the-hearts-of/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I have dealt with a pretty interesting mix of young people, many of whom have never been involved in any form of politics at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/i-have-dealt-with-a-pretty-interesting-mix-of-young-people-many-of/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [You might be surprised by how interested young people are in older people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/you-might-be-surprised-by-how-interested-young-people-are-in-older/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [“It's of some interest that the lively arts of the millenial U.S.A. treat anhedonia and internal emptiness as hip and cool. It's maybe the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-of-some-interest-that-the-lively-arts-of-the-millenial-u-s-a/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Most of her friends owned laptops and seemed to spend more time with their phones than anything else. Steffy kept her latest playlists and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-allison-parker/most-of-her-friends-owned-laptops-and-seemed-to-spend-more-time-with/) [Jaime Allison Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-allison-parker/) > [“In childhood, you long to grow up fast because older people are more powerful, young men more powerful. A child just longs to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/in-childhood-you-long-to-grow-up-fast-because-older-people-are-more/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [ Hence intellect\[ual perception\] is both a beginning and an end, for the demonstrations arise from these, and concern them. As a result, one ought… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/hence-intellect-ual-perception-is-both-a-beginning-and-an-end-for-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Shy” was the sympathetic interpretation she got from older people. “Snotty” was the interpretation she got from people her own age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/shy-was-the-sympathetic-interpretation-she-got-from-older-people/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) [Browse all 312 Older people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I was young and physically fit and I struggled here, so I had a deep respect for the older people, and those with disabilities, who returned class after class in spite of their pain and their physical limitations.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Burke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burke/i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-struggled-here-so-i-had-a-deep/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Older people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burke/i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-struggled-here-so-i-had-a-deep/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/edward-burke-110770_older-people_i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-str_877378.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/edward-burke-110770_older-people_i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-str_877378.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/edward-burke-110770_older-people_i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-str_877378.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was young and physically fit and I struggled here, so I had a deep respect for the older people, and those…” — Edward Burke", "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": "Edward Burke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I was young and physically fit...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burke/i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-struggled-here-so-i-had-a-deep/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burke/i-was-young-and-physically-fit-and-i-struggled-here-so-i-had-a-deep/#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 } } ] } ```