--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a very ancient twelve; my views at…" description: "\"I was a very ancient twelve; my views at that age would have done credit to a Civil War veteran. I am much younger now than I was at twelve or anyway, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/flannery-o-connor-639_age_i-was-a-very-ancient-twelve-my-views-at_1254215.png" --- # I was a very ancient twelve; my views at that age would… ![“I was a very ancient twelve; my views at that age would have done credit to a Civil War veteran. I am much younger now than I was at twelve or anyway, less burdened. The weight of the centuries lies on children, I'm sure of it.” quote by Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/flannery-o-connor-639_age_i-was-a-very-ancient-twelve-my-views-at_1254215.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/flannery-o-connor-639_age_i-was-a-very-ancient-twelve-my-views-at_1254215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abf/flannery-o-connor-639_age_i-was-a-very-ancient-twelve-my-views-at_1254215.png) > “I was a very ancient twelve; my views at that age would have done credit to a Civil War veteran. I am much younger now than I was at twelve or anyway, less burdened. The weight of the centuries lies on children, I'm sure of it.” [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She reflects on youthful perspective, noting that children bear heavy expectations, yet age brings lighter burdens. **In simple terms:** Children feel heavy expectations; age eases them. Key Takeaway Recognize the weight of expectations on youth. Themes youth burden perspective Mood thoughtful serious Type social psychological When to use this quote - parenting - education - mental health Key Concepts generational pressure wisdom Questions to Reflect On - How do societal expectations shape a child's self‑view? - What can adults do to lessen this burden? A Different Perspective May generalize children's experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-views-3964461/) [Centuries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centuries/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Twelve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twelve/) [Veteran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/veteran/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [Views Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views-age-3964460/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War veteran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-veteran/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) [Weight Centuries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight-centuries-3964459/) [Younger Burdened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/younger-burdened-3964458/) ## Related quotes > [I am much younger now than I was at twelve or anyway, less burdened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/i-am-much-younger-now-than-i-was-at-twelve-or-anyway-less-burdened/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [The principal thing is the question of how our culture views age: that old is ugly Just think of Rodin, how he dealt with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-coplans/the-principal-thing-is-the-question-of-how-our-culture-views-age-that-2/) [John Coplans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-coplans/) > [“An immense pressure is on me. 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Nimitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-w-nimitz/) ## More by Flannery O'Connor > [“Wait here, wait here!" he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/wait-here-wait-here-he-cried-and-jumped-up-and-began-to-run-for-help/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [... the man in the violent situation reveals those qualities least dispensable in his personality, those qualities which are all he will have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-man-in-the-violent-situation-reveals-those-qualities-least/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“I don’t know how to cure the source-itis except to tell you that I can discover a good many possible sources myself for Wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/i-don-t-know-how-to-cure-the-source-itis-except-to-tell-you-that-i/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/for-the-fiction-writer-himself-the-whole-story-is-the-meaning-because/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Everything that gave her pleasure was small and depressed him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/everything-that-gave-her-pleasure-was-small-and-depressed-him/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [To the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/to-the-hard-of-hearing-you-shout-and-for-the-almost-blind-you-draw/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“He felt his hunger no longer as a pain but as a tide. 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