---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm restless. My whole generation is…"
description: "\"I'm restless. My whole generation is restless. I'm sick of a system where the richest man gets the most beautiful girl if he wants her, where the artis..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_artist_i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-rest_1603530.jpg"
---

#  I'm restless. My whole generation is restless. I'm sick of…

![“I'm restless. My whole generation is restless. I'm sick of a system where the richest man gets the most beautiful girl if he wants her, where the artist without an income has to sell his talents to a button manufacturer. Even if I had no talents I'd not be content to work ten years, condemned…” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_artist_i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-rest_1603530.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_artist_i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-rest_1603530.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_artist_i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-rest_1603530.jpg)

> “I'm restless. My whole generation is restless. I'm sick of a system where the richest man gets the most beautiful girl if he wants her, where the artist without an income has to sell his talents to a button manufacturer. Even if I had no talents I'd not be content to work ten years, condemned either to celibacy or a furtive indulgence, to give some man's son an automobile.”

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

## About This Quote

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

The younger generation feels trapped by a system that rewards wealth over talent, leading to frustration and a sense of futility.

**In simple terms:** Young people are angry about a world that values money over art.

Key Takeaway

Seek purpose beyond material success.

Themes

disillusionment social inequality generational angst art vs commerce

Mood

cynical hopeful

Type

social critique philosophical

When to use this quote

- career stagnation
- artistic exploitation
- economic disparity
- social mobility

Key Concepts

capitalism existential dread creative struggle

Questions to Reflect On

- What can individuals do to value creativity over profit?
- How might society better support artists?

A Different Perspective

Not all wealth equates to happiness or fulfillment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Automobile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/automobile/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beautiful girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-girl/) [Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buttons/) [Celibacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celibacy/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Generation Restless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-restless-6102760/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Indulgence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indulgence/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Restless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restless/) [Restless Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restless-generation-533859/) [Richest Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/richest-man/) [Sell Talents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sell-talents-6102761/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Sick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sick/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Ten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/)

## Related quotes

> [“I'm a product of a versatile mind in a restless generation with every reason to throw my mind and pen in with the radicals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-a-product-of-a-versatile-mind-in-a-restless-generation-with-every/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“Anyway, they have this discussion, and the kid is an idealist in a temporary way. He talks about his "restless generation" and things like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/anyway-they-have-this-discussion-and-the-kid-is-an-idealist-in-a/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [Celibacy goes deeper than the flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/celibacy-goes-deeper-than-the-flesh/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“The world’s richest man pulled Microsoft out of his butt. All Bill Gates exploited was a line of 0s and 1s as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/the-world-s-richest-man-pulled-microsoft-out-of-his-butt-all-bill/)

[P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/)

> [I own no property and yet I feel that I am perhaps the richest man in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-own-no-property-and-yet-i-feel-that-i-am-perhaps-the-richest-man-in/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“On the end of an era "I think records were just a little bubble through time and those who made a living from them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/on-the-end-of-an-era-i-think-records-were-just-a-little-bubble/)

[Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/)

> [I am the Richest man on earth because I am the Happiest man on earth. After all, isnt Happiness the Greatest Wealth in Life?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/i-am-the-richest-man-on-earth-because-i-am-the-happiest-man-on-earth/)

[RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/)

> [If I got a dime for every time I thought about how deeply I love you, I would have been the world's richest man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee/if-i-got-a-dime-for-every-time-i-thought-about-how-deeply-i-love-you/)

[Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee/)

> [Borrowing money on what's called 'easy terms,' is a one-way ticket to the Poor House. If you think it ain't a Sucker Game, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/borrowing-money-on-what-s-called-easy-terms-is-a-one-way-ticket-to/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [I mean, before this, I would have said playing Bill Gates, because I'm playing someone obviously who is alive and is the richest man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-michael-hall/i-mean-before-this-i-would-have-said-playing-bill-gates-because-i-m/)

[Anthony Michael Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-michael-hall/)

> [I used to think like Moses. That knocked me down for a couple years and put me in prison. Then I start thinking like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-brown/i-used-to-think-like-moses-that-knocked-me-down-for-a-couple-years/)

[James Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-brown/)

> [And then many things became very clear... we learned perfectly that the life of a single human being is worth millions of times more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-then-many-things-became-very-clear-we-learned-perfectly-that-the/)

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

> [There's two sides to Trump's character, at least his pre-presidential character. One was, 'I'm the richest man you could possibly imagine, I live the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/there-s-two-sides-to-trump-s-character-at-least-his-pre-presidential/)

[David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/)

> [I intend to be, the richest man in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-hughes/i-intend-to-be-the-richest-man-in-the-world/)

[Howard Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-hughes/)

## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald

> [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

[Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

## More Artist quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

[Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/)

> [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/)

[St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

> [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/)

[Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/)

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/)

[Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/)

> [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

[Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm restless. My whole generation is restless. I'm sick of a system where the richest man gets the most beautiful girl if he wants her, where the artist without an income has to sell his talents to a button manufacturer. Even if I had no talents I'd not be content to work ten years, condemned either to celibacy or a furtive indulgence, to give some man's son an automobile.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "F. Scott Fitzgerald"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-restless-i-m-sick-of-a-system/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-restless-i-m-sick-of-a-system/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_artist_i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-rest_1603530.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_artist_i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-rest_1603530.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66d/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_artist_i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-rest_1603530.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm restless. My whole generation is restless. I'm sick of a system where the richest man gets the most…” — F. Scott Fitzgerald",
                "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": "F. Scott Fitzgerald",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm restless. My whole generation is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-restless-i-m-sick-of-a-system/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-restless-my-whole-generation-is-restless-i-m-sick-of-a-system/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
