---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hate to generalize, but in general…"
description: "\"I hate to generalize, but in general, both men and women suffer from ageism. Men much less because men gain power as they get older. Women lose power a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/gloria-steinem-277_ageism_i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both_2182187.jpg"
---

#  I hate to generalize, but in general, both men and women…

![“I hate to generalize, but in general, both men and women suffer from ageism. Men much less because men gain power as they get older. Women lose power as they get older. Men are seen as gaining experience and being distinguished. Sons look forward to replacing their fathers.” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/gloria-steinem-277_ageism_i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both_2182187.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/gloria-steinem-277_ageism_i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both_2182187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/gloria-steinem-277_ageism_i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both_2182187.jpg)

> “I hate to generalize, but in general, both men and women suffer from ageism. Men much less because men gain power as they get older. Women lose power as they get older. Men are seen as gaining experience and being distinguished. Sons look forward to replacing their fathers.”

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ageism affects both genders, but women lose power with age while men gain it, reflecting societal double standards.

**In simple terms:** Age bias hurts women more.

Key Takeaway

Address gendered age bias.

Themes

ageism gender power

Mood

urgent analytical

Type

activist analytical

When to use this quote

- workplace promotions
- media representation
- political leadership
- family dynamics

Key Concepts

social hierarchy stereotypes intersectionality

Questions to Reflect On

- How does age affect your professional opportunities?
- What policies could reduce gendered age bias?

A Different Perspective

Changing norms can be slow.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ageism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageism/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Older men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-men/) [Older women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-women/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Replacing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/replacing/) [Sons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sons/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/)

## Related quotes

> [Not only do we suffer from racism and sexism, but we also suffer from ageism. And that is that once you reach a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/not-only-do-we-suffer-from-racism-and-sexism-but-we-also-suffer-from/)

[Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/)

> [Think about the pressure to "pass" by lying about one's agethat familiar temptation to falsify a condition of one's birth oridentity and pretend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/think-about-the-pressure-to-pass-by-lying-about-one-s-agethat/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Older men are wiser and that is much cooler to me. I've never been one for going out clubbing or getting off my head,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-fox/older-men-are-wiser-and-that-is-much-cooler-to-me-i-ve-never-been-one/)

[Emilia Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-fox/)

> [“All the older men are linked up with their previous life. They have wives, children, occupations, and interests, they have a background which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/all-the-older-men-are-linked-up-with-their-previous-life-they-have/)

[Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/)

> [Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/older-men-declare-war-but-it-is-youth-that-must-fight-and-die/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [There are older men with younger women but you don't see a lot of older women with younger men. There are some women who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/there-are-older-men-with-younger-women-but-you-don-t-see-a-lot-of/)

[Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/)

> [We die a little every day and by degrees we’re reborn into different men, older men in the same clothes, with the same scars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/we-die-a-little-every-day-and-by-degrees-we-re-reborn-into-different/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [I started dating older men, and I would fall in love with them. I thought they could teach me about life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-zuniga/i-started-dating-older-men-and-i-would-fall-in-love-with-them-i/)

[Daphne Zuniga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-zuniga/)

> [I find older men more attractive than boys. I need a man who can teach me a thing or two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donatella-versace/i-find-older-men-more-attractive-than-boys-i-need-a-man-who-can-teach/)

[Donatella Versace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donatella-versace/)

> [I spent most of my 20s dating older men, and I really wish I had spent that time dating men my own age who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-yoffe/i-spent-most-of-my-20s-dating-older-men-and-i-really-wish-i-had-spent/)

[Emily Yoffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-yoffe/)

> [Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/older-men-declare-war-but-it-is-the-youth-that-must-fight-and-die/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [I think with social media and men wanting to look good - since honestly a lot of the older men are going out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nassif/i-think-with-social-media-and-men-wanting-to-look-good-since-honestly/)

[Paul Nassif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nassif/)

> [Ive always liked older men. Theyre just more attractive to me. Of course, at my age there arent that many left! Ive enjoyed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/ive-always-liked-older-men-theyre-just-more-attractive-to-me-of/)

[Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/)

> [I love older men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-diaz/i-love-older-men/)

[Cameron Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-diaz/)

> [I guess there are some women who like older men, but it's a smaller group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/i-guess-there-are-some-women-who-like-older-men-but-it-s-a-smaller/)

[Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/)

## More by Gloria Steinem

> [People waste more time waiting for someone to take charge of their lives than they do in any other pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/people-waste-more-time-waiting-for-someone-to-take-charge-of-their/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/nothing-will-happen-automatically-change-depends-on-what-you-and-i-do/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Women are never again going to be mindless coffee-makers or mindless policy-makers in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/women-are-never-again-going-to-be-mindless-coffee-makers-or-mindless/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [The state of female artists is very good. But the very definition of art has been biased in that 'art' was what men did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-state-of-female-artists-is-very-good-but-the-very-definition-of/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [I started out life as a writer, and writers write in part because they don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-started-out-life-as-a-writer-and-writers-write-in-part-because-they/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Proust's tea cake has nothing on one hour in a college dorm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/proust-s-tea-cake-has-nothing-on-one-hour-in-a-college-dorm/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Sadomasochiasm - which we know very well doesn't exist in societies that don't have child abuse - is regarded some sort of natural sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/sadomasochiasm-which-we-know-very-well-doesn-t-exist-in-societies/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Behave like everything you do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/behave-like-everything-you-do-matters/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [“Part of traveling over years means coming back to the same place and knowing it for the first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/part-of-traveling-over-years-means-coming-back-to-the-same-place-and/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-you-say-i-m-for-equal-pay-that-s-a-reform-but-if-you-say-i-m-a/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [I think that part of everybody's success is due to their looks, but it just works in different ways. If you're whatever society calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-think-that-part-of-everybody-s-success-is-due-to-their-looks-but-it/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Of course, we can change. We're very adaptable. But it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/of-course-we-can-change-we-re-very-adaptable-but-it-takes-a-while/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

[Explore all 766 Gloria Steinem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

## More Ageism quotes

> [For artists of my caliber, we're not played on the radio, so we don't really get a chance to get involved in that debate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/for-artists-of-my-caliber-we-re-not-played-on-the-radio-so-we-don-t/)

[Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/)

> [“Only those who have been on the receiving end of poverty, unemployment, homelessess, mental illness, domestic violence, racism, sexism or ageism can fully identify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-mackay/only-those-who-have-been-on-the-receiving-end-of-poverty-unemployment/)

[Hugh Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-mackay/)

> [Prejudice against womenis many, many times intensified against older women. You are viewed not as an intellect but as a body… Astonishingly, even women's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-guggenheimer/prejudice-against-womenis-many-many-times-intensified-against-older/)

Elinor Guggenheimer

> [All my life, I faced sexism and racism and then, when I hit 40, ageism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/all-my-life-i-faced-sexism-and-racism-and-then-when-i-hit-40-ageism/)

[Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/)

> [It is important for the film industry to rise above ageism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/it-is-important-for-the-film-industry-to-rise-above-ageism/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [All of my history as an African-American woman, as a Jewish woman, as a Muslim woman. I'm bringing everything I ever knew, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/all-of-my-history-as-an-african-american-woman-as-a-jewish-woman-as-a/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [“Some people say they have 20 years experience, when in reality, they have 1 year's experience repeated 20 times. (Stephen M R Covey to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/some-people-say-they-have-20-years-experience-when-in-reality-they/)

[Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/)

> [We are growing up. We are growing up! Out of the idiocies - the ignorances of racism and sexism and ageism and all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/we-are-growing-up-we-are-growing-up-out-of-the-idiocies-the/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [Too old at 72? Careful. Ageism is out. We'll have the law on you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvyn-bragg/too-old-at-72-careful-ageism-is-out-we-ll-have-the-law-on-you/)

[Melvyn Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvyn-bragg/)

> [So, my unsolicited advice to women in the workplace is this. When faced with sexism, or ageism, or lookism, or even really aggressive Buddhism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/so-my-unsolicited-advice-to-women-in-the-workplace-is-this-when-faced/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [It's getting better but men still earn more and there are more jobs for them. Ageism is a big thing. Parts for women disappear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/it-s-getting-better-but-men-still-earn-more-and-there-are-more-jobs/)

[Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/)

> [The beautiful thing is that ageism just doesn't exist on 'EastEnders.' The show saved me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-windsor/the-beautiful-thing-is-that-ageism-just-doesn-t-exist-on-eastenders/)

[Barbara Windsor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-windsor/)

> [This phenomenon with Betty White is so wonderfully amazing. In a world where ageism runs rampant, out of left field, all of a sudden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/this-phenomenon-with-betty-white-is-so-wonderfully-amazing-in-a-world/)

[Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/)

> [Ageism is something that does exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/ageism-is-something-that-does-exist/)

[Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/)

> [Didn't Lionel Richie just make a country album? No one is giving him a hard time... and God bless him - I love Lionel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-oseary/didn-t-lionel-richie-just-make-a-country-album-no-one-is-giving-him-a/)

[Guy Oseary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-oseary/)

[Browse all 64 Ageism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I hate to generalize, but in general, both men and women suffer from ageism. Men much less because men gain power as they get older. Women lose power as they get older. Men are seen as gaining experience and being distinguished. Sons look forward to replacing their fathers.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gloria Steinem"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both-men-and-women-suffer-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ageism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both-men-and-women-suffer-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/gloria-steinem-277_ageism_i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both_2182187.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/gloria-steinem-277_ageism_i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both_2182187.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/gloria-steinem-277_ageism_i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both_2182187.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I hate to generalize, but in general, both men and women suffer from ageism. Men much less because men gain…” — Gloria Steinem",
                "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": "Gloria Steinem",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I hate to generalize, but in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both-men-and-women-suffer-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-hate-to-generalize-but-in-general-both-men-and-women-suffer-from/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
