Bad man Quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
““I am forty years old now, and you know forty years is a whole lifetime; you know it is extreme old age. To live longer than forty years is bad manners, is vulgar, immoral. Who does live beyond forty? Answer that, sincerely and honestly. I will tell you who do: fools and worthless fellows. I tell all old men that to their face, all these venerable old men, all these silver-haired and reverend seniors! I tell the whole world that to its face! I have a right to say so, for I shall go on living to sixty myself. To seventy! To eighty!””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Brothers Karamazov, 1880
He argues that living beyond forty is immoral, labeling those who do as foolish.
In simple terms: Old age beyond forty is bad.
Key Takeaway
Question societal views on aging.
Themes
age
morality
societal norms
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- personal health decisions
- cultural attitudes toward elders
- policy on retirement age
Key Concepts
existentialism
ethical judgment
longevity myths
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do societies stigmatize aging?
- How can we value elder contributions?
A Different Perspective
Human lifespan varies; age is a natural process, not a moral failing.
![“Were we [Women] to express our conceptions of God, it wou'd never enter into the head of any one of us to describe him as a venerable old man.” quote by Lady Sophia Fermor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4d4/lady-sophia-fermor-20567_18th-century_were-we-women-to-express-our-conceptions_1805423.jpg)
![“if [God] doesn't exist, man is the chief of the earth, of the universe. Magnificent! Only how is he going to be good without God?” quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/09b/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_ethics_if-god-doesn-t-exist-man-is-the-chief-of_16023.jpg)
