--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never admitted the right of an…" description: "\"I have never admitted the right of an elderly author to alter the work of a young author, even when the young author happens to be his former self.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/george-bernard-shaw-68_books_i-have-never-admitted-the-right-of-an-el_1486961.png" --- # I have never admitted the right of an elderly author to… ![“I have never admitted the right of an elderly author to alter the work of a young author, even when the young author happens to be his former self.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/george-bernard-shaw-68_books_i-have-never-admitted-the-right-of-an-el_1486961.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/george-bernard-shaw-68_books_i-have-never-admitted-the-right-of-an-el_1486961.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b8/george-bernard-shaw-68_books_i-have-never-admitted-the-right-of-an-el_1486961.png) > “I have never admitted the right of an elderly author to alter the work of a young author, even when the young author happens to be his former self.” [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respect for youthful creativity outweighs deference to older authority, even when the elder was once the younger. **In simple terms:** Youthful voices matter more than senior approval. Key Takeaway Value fresh perspectives over legacy. Themes creativity authority generational conflict Mood reflective critical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - publishing - mentorship - creative collaborations - academic discourse Key Concepts literary criticism intellectual property Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance respect for tradition with innovation? - When should we challenge senior authority? A Different Perspective Older experience can also bring valuable insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Elderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [It is something wonderful when one can love another author. That happens so rarely, without any kind of misgivings that authors often have between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liao-yiwu/it-is-something-wonderful-when-one-can-love-another-author-that/) [Liao Yiwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liao-yiwu/) > [Great literature must spring from an upheaval in the author's soul. 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Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) ## More by George Bernard Shaw > [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. 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