--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is doomed either squander his youth…" description: "\"Man is doomed either squander his youth, which is the only time he has to store provisions for the coming years and provide for his own well-being, or ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/giacomo-leopardi-9404_doomed_man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth_2211951.jpg" --- # Man is doomed either squander his youth, which is the only… ![“Man is doomed either squander his youth, which is the only time he has to store provisions for the coming years and provide for his own well-being, or to spend his youth procuring pleasures in advance for that time of life when he will be too old to enjoy them.” quote by Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/giacomo-leopardi-9404_doomed_man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth_2211951.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/giacomo-leopardi-9404_doomed_man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth_2211951.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/giacomo-leopardi-9404_doomed_man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth_2211951.jpg) > “Man is doomed either squander his youth, which is the only time he has to store provisions for the coming years and provide for his own well-being, or to spend his youth procuring pleasures in advance for that time of life when he will be too old to enjoy them.” [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leopardi warns that youth must either be saved for future needs or spent on immediate pleasures, highlighting the tension between prudence and hedonism. **In simple terms:** Youth is a finite resource that must be managed wisely. Key Takeaway Balance foresight with enjoyment. Themes youth time prudence hedonism Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal finance - career planning - life coaching Key Concepts philosophical existential Questions to Reflect On - What should you prioritize now? - How to plan without missing joy? A Different Perspective It ignores unpredictable life changes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-old/) [Man Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-doomed-546285/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Only time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only-time/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Provision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provision/) [Spend Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-youth-681746/) [Squander Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/squander-youth-4900984/) [Stores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stores/) [Well being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-being/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [“all the works of mortal man have been doomed to mortality, and in the midst of things which have been destined to die, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca/all-the-works-of-mortal-man-have-been-doomed-to-mortality-and-in-the/) [Seneca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca/) > [“Man is doomed not when he does not know, but when he does not want to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/man-is-doomed-not-when-he-does-not-know-but-when-he-does-not-want-to/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [“Man is doomed to repeat his mistakes time and again because he learns only from experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/man-is-doomed-to-repeat-his-mistakes-time-and-again-because-he-learns/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [“Civilization was a relentless war that man was doomed to lose eventually.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/civilization-was-a-relentless-war-that-man-was-doomed-to-lose/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [In proportion as our cares are employed upon the future, they are abstracted from the present, from the only time which we can call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/in-proportion-as-our-cares-are-employed-upon-the-future-they-are/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Life goes by so quickly. Too quickly. Make sure you’ve lived a little before you die. Trust me, you get years and years to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-macgregor/life-goes-by-so-quickly-too-quickly-make-sure-you-ve-lived-a-little/) [Joanne Macgregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-macgregor/) > [Mek man an' man have money to spend and all de youth them know me a dem friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-isaacs/mek-man-an-man-have-money-to-spend-and-all-de-youth-them-know-me-a/) [Gregory Isaacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-isaacs/) > [As the expression goes, we spend our youth attaining wealth, and our wealth attaining youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/as-the-expression-goes-we-spend-our-youth-attaining-wealth-and-our/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Is that what we come into the world for, to hurry to an office, and work hour after hour till night, then hurry home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/is-that-what-we-come-into-the-world-for-to-hurry-to-an-office-and/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [We spend all our youth chasing money, and when we attain it, we spend all our money chasing youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-goh/we-spend-all-our-youth-chasing-money-and-when-we-attain-it-we-spend/) [Colin Goh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-goh/) > [The best way to enjoy and spend your youth is by serving the Lord. In that way, you'll have no regrets in your older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/the-best-way-to-enjoy-and-spend-your-youth-is-by-serving-the-lord-in/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [I urge you to spend your youth profitably in study and virtue… In brief, let me see in you an abyss of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/i-urge-you-to-spend-your-youth-profitably-in-study-and-virtue-in/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [“It’s like my dreams were worn away by paper cuts, and at some point I woke up and realized that, ‘Hey, you aren’t going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-e-carr/it-s-like-my-dreams-were-worn-away-by-paper-cuts-and-at-some-point-i/) [R.E. Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-e-carr/) > [Do not spend your youth, wandering, lost in your field of daydreams; you may wake up-spending the rest of your life-stranded on the path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-hunter/do-not-spend-your-youth-wandering-lost-in-your-field-of-daydreams-you/) [Lucas Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-hunter/) > [I was very, very lucky to spend my youth during the '60s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-clark/i-was-very-very-lucky-to-spend-my-youth-during-the-60s/) [Dave Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-clark/) ## More by Giacomo Leopardi > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [If content with himself and mankind, a man is never harsh or curt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/if-content-with-himself-and-mankind-a-man-is-never-harsh-or-curt/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [I may be wrong, but it seems rare in our age to find a widely praised person whose own mouth is not the source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/i-may-be-wrong-but-it-seems-rare-in-our-age-to-find-a-widely-praised/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [“Everything that is ended, everything that is last, naturally awakens in man a feeling of sorrow and melancholy. At the same time, it excites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/everything-that-is-ended-everything-that-is-last-naturally-awakens-in/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [Everything since Homer has improved, except poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/everything-since-homer-has-improved-except-poetry/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [If the best company is that which we leave feeling most satisfied with ourselves, it follows that it is the company we leave most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/if-the-best-company-is-that-which-we-leave-feeling-most-satisfied/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [“ The Infinite It was always dear to me, this solitary hill, and this hedgerow here, that closes out my view, from so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/the-infinite-it-was-always-dear-to-me-this-solitary-hill-and-this/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [The commonplace expression that life is nothing but a play is verified above all in this: the world speaks absolutely consistently in one way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/the-commonplace-expression-that-life-is-nothing-but-a-play-is/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [The thought that really crushes us is the thought of the futility of life of which death is the visible manifestation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/the-thought-that-really-crushes-us-is-the-thought-of-the-futility-of/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [The artisan or scientist or the follower of whatever discipline who has the habit of comparing himself not with other followers but with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/the-artisan-or-scientist-or-the-follower-of-whatever-discipline-who/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [It's interesting to observe that almost all truly worthy men have simple manners, and that simple manners are almost always taken as a sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/it-s-interesting-to-observe-that-almost-all-truly-worthy-men-have/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [No one is so completely disenchanted with the world, or knows it so thoroughly, or is so utterly disgusted with it, that when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/no-one-is-so-completely-disenchanted-with-the-world-or-knows-it-so/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [The old man, especially if he is in society in the privacy of his thoughts, though he may protest the opposite, never stops believing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/the-old-man-especially-if-he-is-in-society-in-the-privacy-of-his/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [You can be happy indeed if you have breathing space from pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/you-can-be-happy-indeed-if-you-have-breathing-space-from-pain/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [“If you start reading some book, even a very easy one, or listen to the clearest lecture in the world, with excessive attention, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/if-you-start-reading-some-book-even-a-very-easy-one-or-listen-to-the/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) [Explore all 59 Giacomo Leopardi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) ## More Doomed quotes > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. A language of no boundaries is no language at all, and thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/a-language-possesses-utility-only-insofar-as-it-can-construct/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [I didn't have any role models. I really thought I was doomed to this loveless, lonely life. I didn't know any gay people until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-batt/i-didn-t-have-any-role-models-i-really-thought-i-was-doomed-to-this/) [Bryan Batt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-batt/) > [“Despite which, Charlie seems doomed to stumble around in the dark, clutching pieces of a puzzle he still can't see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/despite-which-charlie-seems-doomed-to-stumble-around-in-the-dark/) [Garth Risk Hallberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-risk-hallberg/) > [Monotheism is in its turn doomed to subtract one more God and become atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/monotheism-is-in-its-turn-doomed-to-subtract-one-more-god-and-become/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [“Why are we doomed to crave most that which we cannot have?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-are-we-doomed-to-crave-most-that-which-we-cannot-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm doomed! And all 'cause Miss Man decides to take her little drag show on the road. -Mushu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mulan/i-m-doomed-and-all-cause-miss-man-decides-to-take-her-little-drag/) [Mulan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mulan/) > [It is important for investors to understand what they do and don't know. Learn to recognize that you cannot possibly know what is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/it-is-important-for-investors-to-understand-what-they-do-and-don-t/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [O Logic: born gatekeeper to the Temple of Science, victim of capricious destiny: doomed hitherto to be the drudge of pedants: come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/o-logic-born-gatekeeper-to-the-temple-of-science-victim-of-capricious/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [For the planet's sake, I hope we have bird flu or some other thing that will reduce the population, because otherwise we're doomed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-blackmore/for-the-planet-s-sake-i-hope-we-have-bird-flu-or-some-other-thing/) [Susan Blackmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-blackmore/) > [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [I do honestly think that if women were running the world there would be more investment in peace, because basically as women we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-do-honestly-think-that-if-women-were-running-the-world-there-would/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [When you think that most of us are doomed by divine grace to roast in hell, to say nothing of mortgages and hail and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/when-you-think-that-most-of-us-are-doomed-by-divine-grace-to-roast-in/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [I am doomed or fortunate to stick to what I do best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-sobule/i-am-doomed-or-fortunate-to-stick-to-what-i-do-best/) [Jill Sobule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-sobule/) [Browse all 648 Doomed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man is doomed either squander his youth, which is the only time he has to store provisions for the coming years and provide for his own well-being, or to spend his youth procuring pleasures in advance for that time of life when he will be too old to enjoy them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Giacomo Leopardi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth-which-is-the-only-time-he-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doomed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth-which-is-the-only-time-he-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/giacomo-leopardi-9404_doomed_man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth_2211951.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/giacomo-leopardi-9404_doomed_man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth_2211951.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c34/giacomo-leopardi-9404_doomed_man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth_2211951.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man is doomed either squander his youth, which is the only time he has to store provisions for the coming…” — Giacomo Leopardi", "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": "Giacomo Leopardi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man is doomed either squander his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth-which-is-the-only-time-he-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/man-is-doomed-either-squander-his-youth-which-is-the-only-time-he-has/#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 } } ] } ```