--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wasting one's youth is better than doing…" description: "\"Wasting one's youth is better than doing nothing at all with it.\" — Georges Courteline" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85e/georges-courteline-36786_better_wasting-one-s-youth-is-better-than-doing_756287.jpg" --- # Wasting one's youth is better than doing nothing at all… ![“Wasting one's youth is better than doing nothing at all with it.” quote by Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85e/georges-courteline-36786_better_wasting-one-s-youth-is-better-than-doing_756287.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85e/georges-courteline-36786_better_wasting-one-s-youth-is-better-than-doing_756287.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85e/georges-courteline-36786_better_wasting-one-s-youth-is-better-than-doing_756287.jpg) > “Wasting one's youth is better than doing nothing at all with it.” [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that youthful wastefulness is preferable to complete idleness, implying action over stagnation. **In simple terms:** Better to waste youth than do nothing. Key Takeaway Choose activity, even imperfect. Themes productivity youth existentialism Mood humorous reflective Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - career exploration - creative projects - learning new skills - volunteering Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What purposeful activities could replace waste? - How does idle time affect fulfillment? A Different Perspective Wasting time can lead to regret later. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Better Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-doing/) [Doing nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-nothing/) [Wasting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting/) [Wasting Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting-youth-1394686/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) [Youth Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth-better-938558/) ## Related quotes > [Go big, or go home. Otherwise, you’re wasting your youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/go-big-or-go-home-otherwise-you-re-wasting-your-youth/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [It's like a rugby team. If you're picking for the World Cup final, you're picking experience with youth. Everything is better off having that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-william/it-s-like-a-rugby-team-if-you-re-picking-for-the-world-cup-final-you/) [Prince William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-william/) > [There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/there-is-no-fun-in-doing-nothing-when-you-have-nothing-to-do-wasting/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Follow Descartes! Do not give up the religion of your youth until you get a better one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-h-fischer-2/follow-descartes-do-not-give-up-the-religion-of-your-youth-until-you/) [Martin H Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-h-fischer-2/) > [I do think some older people in the gay community could be better influencers for gay youth, better educators. I made it a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/i-do-think-some-older-people-in-the-gay-community-could-be-better/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth. Instead of its bringing sad and melancholy prospects of decay, it would give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-chevalier/a-comfortable-old-age-is-the-reward-of-a-well-spent-youth-instead-of/) [Maurice Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-chevalier/) > [The youth is better than the old age of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-youth-is-better-than-the-old-age-of-friendship/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [A wasted youth is better by far than a wise and productive old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meat-loaf/a-wasted-youth-is-better-by-far-than-a-wise-and-productive-old-age/) [Meat Loaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meat-loaf/) > [There are new eras in one's life that are equivalent to youth-are something better than youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-new-eras-in-one-s-life-that-are-equivalent-to-youth-are/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I can always get better at what I'm doing because I'm not nearly as good as I think I can be. I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/i-can-always-get-better-at-what-i-m-doing-because-i-m-not-nearly-as/) [Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/) > [Just do what you like and like what you do. It's better than not doing anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-do-what-you-like-and-like-what-you-do-it-s-better-than-not-doing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing. -Kelsier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything-2/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Medicare rewards doctors far better for doing procedures than for assessing whether they should be done at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/medicare-rewards-doctors-far-better-for-doing-procedures-than-for/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“When a day goes by and I haven't written anything, I better have been doing something worth writing about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-bartlett/when-a-day-goes-by-and-i-haven-t-written-anything-i-better-have-been/) [P.S. Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-bartlett/) ## More by Georges Courteline > [If it was necessary to tolerate in other people everything that one permits oneself, life would be unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/if-it-was-necessary-to-tolerate-in-other-people-everything-that-one/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [One of the most obvious results of having a baby around the house is to turn two good people into complete idiots who probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/one-of-the-most-obvious-results-of-having-a-baby-around-the-house-is/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [Women are better than they are reputed to be: they don't mock the tears men shed unless they themselves are responsible for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/women-are-better-than-they-are-reputed-to-be-they-don-t-mock-the/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [If we had to tolerate in others all that we permit in ourselves, life would become completely unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/if-we-had-to-tolerate-in-others-all-that-we-permit-in-ourselves-life/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [To be looked upon as a fool by an idiot is a true connoisseur's delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/to-be-looked-upon-as-a-fool-by-an-idiot-is-a-true-connoisseur-s/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [A woman never sees what we do for her, she only sees what we don't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/a-woman-never-sees-what-we-do-for-her-she-only-sees-what-we-don-t-do/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [One of the most visible effects of a child's presence in the household is to turn the worthy parents into complete idiots when, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/one-of-the-most-visible-effects-of-a-child-s-presence-in-the/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [Most men find it difficult to remain true to a single woman, but relatively easy to be true to three or four at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/most-men-find-it-difficult-to-remain-true-to-a-single-woman-but/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [It is better to waste one's youth than to do nothing with it at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/it-is-better-to-waste-one-s-youth-than-to-do-nothing-with-it-at-all/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [“L'alcool tue lentement. On s'en fout. On n'est pas pressés.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/l-alcool-tue-lentement-on-s-en-fout-on-n-est-pas-press-s/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) > [It is very hard to be in love with someone who no longer loves you, but it is far worse to be loved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-courteline/it-is-very-hard-to-be-in-love-with-someone-who-no-longer-loves-you/) [Georges Courteline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) [Explore all 12 Georges Courteline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-courteline/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. 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