--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the problem with crests is that they…" description: "\"“But the problem with crests is that they lead downhill. From the crest I can see all the rest of my years stretched out before me. And the view doesn’..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/irvin-d-yalom-1519_crest_but-the-problem-with-crests-is-that-they_917299.png" --- # But the problem with crests is that they lead downhill… ![“But the problem with crests is that they lead downhill. From the crest I can see all the rest of my years stretched out before me. And the view doesn’t please me. I see only aging, diminishment, fathering, grandfathering.” “But,” quote by Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/irvin-d-yalom-1519_crest_but-the-problem-with-crests-is-that-they_917299.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/irvin-d-yalom-1519_crest_but-the-problem-with-crests-is-that-they_917299.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57d/irvin-d-yalom-1519_crest_but-the-problem-with-crests-is-that-they_917299.png) > ““But the problem with crests is that they lead downhill. From the crest I can see all the rest of my years stretched out before me. And the view doesn’t please me. I see only aging, diminishment, fathering, grandfathering.” “But,”” [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees the future as a decline, fearing aging and the responsibilities of later life. **In simple terms:** Fear of aging and loss of vitality. Key Takeaway Confront and aging with purpose. Themes mortality aging family existential anxiety Mood reflective somber Type existential psychological When to use this quote - career planning - retirement - family caregiving - personal reflection Key Concepts existential psychotherapy life narrative Questions to Reflect On - How do you find meaning in later life? - What legacy do you wish to leave? A Different Perspective The view may be bleak, but it can motivate meaningful action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crest/) [Crests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crests-1391505/) [Crests Lead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crests-lead-1391506/) [Downhill Crest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downhill-crest-1391504/) [Problem Crests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-crests-1391507/) ## Related quotes > [Some people have family crests, lions, tigers, unicorns, elephants - a whole menagerie - and if my family had a crest, you know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-berg/some-people-have-family-crests-lions-tigers-unicorns-elephants-a/) [Gertrude Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-berg/) > [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [If the cap ain't on my Crest, if it's squeezed from the middle and not the bottom, there's a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiny-tim/if-the-cap-ain-t-on-my-crest-if-it-s-squeezed-from-the-middle-and-not/) [Tiny Tim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiny-tim/) > [“I walked forward simply because there was no going back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-raveling/i-walked-forward-simply-because-there-was-no-going-back/) [Emma Raveling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-raveling/) > [“Crest, that was his name, was meanwhile droning on, while Kate seemed to be only half listening. I could not hear him clearly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-andrews/crest-that-was-his-name-was-meanwhile-droning-on-while-kate-seemed-to/) [Gordon Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-andrews/) > [To be 23 and riding the crest of a song sweeping the world country by country is to live an altered and wholly rarefied existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hill/to-be-23-and-riding-the-crest-of-a-song-sweeping-the-world-country-by/) [Dan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hill/) > [See the sun! God's crest upon His azure shield, the Heavens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/see-the-sun-god-s-crest-upon-his-azure-shield-the-heavens/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [“peering at the crest, with its faded leopard couchant,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/peering-at-the-crest-with-its-faded-leopard-couchant/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [I want a documentary to crest by being voted on by 6000 people who are in the business of telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-nevins/i-want-a-documentary-to-crest-by-being-voted-on-by-6000-people-who/) [Sheila Nevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-nevins/) > [The gay bunting erects his white crest, and gives utterance to the joy he feels in the presence of his brooding mate; the willow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/the-gay-bunting-erects-his-white-crest-and-gives-utterance-to-the-joy/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [You play for the crest on the front, NOT the name on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apm/you-play-for-the-crest-on-the-front-not-the-name-on-the-back/) [Apm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apm/) > [One moment you appear to be riding the crest of a wave, only to have the rug pulled away from you, bringing you back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrow/one-moment-you-appear-to-be-riding-the-crest-of-a-wave-only-to-have/) [John Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrow/) > [I'm happy to help Crest Whitestrips on their mission to inspire photographers everywhere to capture smile moments and would encourage aspiring photographers to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-barker/i-m-happy-to-help-crest-whitestrips-on-their-mission-to-inspire/) [Nigel Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-barker/) > [I keep pushing for the Crest Whitestrips thing. I get so many compliments on how white my teeth are, but I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-wagner/i-keep-pushing-for-the-crest-whitestrips-thing-i-get-so-many/) [Jill Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-wagner/) > [“Never have I so wanted to be Crest Complete.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/never-have-i-so-wanted-to-be-crest-complete/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Irvin D. Yalom > [“ALAS, IF ALL HUMANS WERE WISE AND HAD MORE GOOD WILL THE WORLD WOULD BE A PARADISE NOW IT IS MOSTLY A HELL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/alas-if-all-humans-were-wise-and-had-more-good-will-the-world-would/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I dream of a love that is more than two people craving to possess one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/i-dream-of-a-love-that-is-more-than-two-people-craving-to-possess-one/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Ümitsizlik özfarkındalık uğruna ödenen bedeldir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mitsizlik-zfark-ndal-k-u-runa-denen-bedeldir/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Therapists need to have a long experience in personal therapy to see what it's like to be on the other side of the couch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/therapists-need-to-have-a-long-experience-in-personal-therapy-to-see/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Beginning therapists must learn that there are times to sit in silence, sometimes in silent communion, sometimes simply while waiting for patients' thoughts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/beginning-therapists-must-learn-that-there-are-times-to-sit-in/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [If one is to learn to live with the dead, one must first learn to live with the living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/if-one-is-to-learn-to-live-with-the-dead-one-must-first-learn-to-live/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Specialness as a primary mode of death transcendence takes a number of other maladaptive forms. The drive for power is not uncommonly motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/specialness-as-a-primary-mode-of-death-transcendence-takes-a-number/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Exactly. We know that the great Goethe carried a copy of Spinoza’s Ethics in his pocket for a year. Imagine that—an entire year! And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/exactly-we-know-that-the-great-goethe-carried-a-copy-of-spinoza-s/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Hope is the worst of evils because it protracts torment.” “Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/hope-is-the-worst-of-evils-because-it-protracts-torment-your/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Mature love is loving, not being loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/mature-love-is-loving-not-being-loved/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Absolute power, as we have always known, corrupts absolutely; it corrupts because it does not do the trick for the individual. Reality always creeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/absolute-power-as-we-have-always-known-corrupts-absolutely-it/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Indeed, the capacity to tolerate uncertainty is a prerequisite for the profession. Though the public may believe that therapists guide patients systematically and sure-handedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/indeed-the-capacity-to-tolerate-uncertainty-is-a-prerequisite-for-the/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“Rollo May quipped that anxiety about nothing tries to become anxiety about something. In other words, anxiety about nothingness quickly attaches itself to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/rollo-may-quipped-that-anxiety-about-nothing-tries-to-become-anxiety/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [“I often urge patients to project themselves into the future and to consider how they can live now so that five years hence they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/i-often-urge-patients-to-project-themselves-into-the-future-and-to/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [When people don't have any curiosity about themselves, that is always a bad sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/when-people-don-t-have-any-curiosity-about-themselves-that-is-always/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) [Explore all 184 Irvin D. Yalom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) ## More Crest quotes > [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [I keep pushing for the Crest Whitestrips thing. I get so many compliments on how white my teeth are, but I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-wagner/i-keep-pushing-for-the-crest-whitestrips-thing-i-get-so-many/) [Jill Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-wagner/) > [I'm happy to help Crest Whitestrips on their mission to inspire photographers everywhere to capture smile moments and would encourage aspiring photographers to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-barker/i-m-happy-to-help-crest-whitestrips-on-their-mission-to-inspire/) [Nigel Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-barker/) > [One moment you appear to be riding the crest of a wave, only to have the rug pulled away from you, bringing you back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrow/one-moment-you-appear-to-be-riding-the-crest-of-a-wave-only-to-have/) [John Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrow/) > [You play for the crest on the front, NOT the name on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apm/you-play-for-the-crest-on-the-front-not-the-name-on-the-back/) [Apm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apm/) > [The gay bunting erects his white crest, and gives utterance to the joy he feels in the presence of his brooding mate; the willow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/the-gay-bunting-erects-his-white-crest-and-gives-utterance-to-the-joy/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [I want a documentary to crest by being voted on by 6000 people who are in the business of telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-nevins/i-want-a-documentary-to-crest-by-being-voted-on-by-6000-people-who/) [Sheila Nevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-nevins/) > [“peering at the crest, with its faded leopard couchant,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/peering-at-the-crest-with-its-faded-leopard-couchant/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [See the sun! God's crest upon His azure shield, the Heavens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/see-the-sun-god-s-crest-upon-his-azure-shield-the-heavens/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [To be 23 and riding the crest of a song sweeping the world country by country is to live an altered and wholly rarefied existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hill/to-be-23-and-riding-the-crest-of-a-song-sweeping-the-world-country-by/) [Dan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hill/) > [“Crest, that was his name, was meanwhile droning on, while Kate seemed to be only half listening. I could not hear him clearly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-andrews/crest-that-was-his-name-was-meanwhile-droning-on-while-kate-seemed-to/) [Gordon Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-andrews/) > [“I walked forward simply because there was no going back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-raveling/i-walked-forward-simply-because-there-was-no-going-back/) [Emma Raveling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-raveling/) > [If the cap ain't on my Crest, if it's squeezed from the middle and not the bottom, there's a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiny-tim/if-the-cap-ain-t-on-my-crest-if-it-s-squeezed-from-the-middle-and-not/) [Tiny Tim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiny-tim/) > [“Never have I so wanted to be Crest Complete.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/never-have-i-so-wanted-to-be-crest-complete/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm proud to work with Crest and help spread the message to #ChooseSmiles because smiles are the easiest way to express kindness or happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-tremblay/i-m-proud-to-work-with-crest-and-help-spread-the-message-to/) [Jacob Tremblay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-tremblay/) [Browse all 20 Crest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But the problem with crests is that they lead downhill. 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