--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who doesn't like to be a center for…" description: "\"“Who doesn't like to be a center for concern? A kind of second childhood falls on so many men. They trade their violence for the promise of a small inc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/096/john-steinbeck-71_children_who-doesn-t-like-to-be-a-center-for-conc_837138.jpg" --- # Who doesn't like to be a center for concern? A kind of… ![“Who doesn't like to be a center for concern? A kind of second childhood falls on so many men. They trade their violence for the promise of a small increase of life span. In effect, the head of the house becomes the youngest child. And I have searched myself for this possibility with a kind of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/096/john-steinbeck-71_children_who-doesn-t-like-to-be-a-center-for-conc_837138.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/096/john-steinbeck-71_children_who-doesn-t-like-to-be-a-center-for-conc_837138.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/096/john-steinbeck-71_children_who-doesn-t-like-to-be-a-center-for-conc_837138.jpg) > ““Who doesn't like to be a center for concern? A kind of second childhood falls on so many men. They trade their violence for the promise of a small increase of life span. In effect, the head of the house becomes the youngest child. And I have searched myself for this possibility with a kind of horror. For I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked to hard and too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment. I did not want to surrender fierceness for a small gain in yardage. My wife married a man; I saw no reason why she should inherit a baby. I knew that ten or twelve thousand miles driving a truck, alone and unattended, over every kind of road, would be hard work, but to me it represented the antidote for the poison of the professional sick man. And in my own life I am not willing to trade quality for quantity. If this projected journey should proved too much then it was time to go anyway. I see to many men delay their exits with a sickly, slow reluctance to leave the stage. It's bad theater as well as bad living. I am very fortunate in having a wife who likes men, not elderly babies. Although this last foundation for the journey was never discussed, I am sure she understood it.”” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects on the futility of trading vitality for modest longevity, urging authentic, vigorous living over complacent, diminished existence. **In simple terms:** Don’t trade vigor for a longer, weaker life. Key Takeaway Choose a life of intensity over mere extension. Themes vitality aging authenticity Mood reflective serious thoughtful Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - career choices - relationship decisions - health habits - personal reflection Key Concepts existentialism masculinity midlife crisis Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your life are you compromising for safety? - How can you balance vigor with longevity? A Different Perspective Longevity alone may not bring fulfillment if quality is sacrificed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Second Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-child/) ## Related quotes > [“A kind of second childhood falls on so many men. They trade their violence for the promise of a small increase of life span.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/a-kind-of-second-childhood-falls-on-so-many-men-they-trade-their-2/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [A kind of second childhood falls on so many men. 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He was complaining that he was a middle child -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/from-my-second-son-gustav-i-bought-one-of-his-complaints-for-200/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [If we want to close the achievement gap, build a well-educated workforce and responsible citizenry, we must start with our youngest children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/if-we-want-to-close-the-achievement-gap-build-a-well-educated/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [As the youngest child of a single immigrant mother with a third-grade education, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd ever be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/as-the-youngest-child-of-a-single-immigrant-mother-with-a-third-grade/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [One of the things we have to remember about the poorest countries in the world is that parents, extremely poor parents, are making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sperling/one-of-the-things-we-have-to-remember-about-the-poorest-countries-in/) Gene Sperling > [I was the second-youngest child in a family that took up the better part of an entire pew at our Baptist church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/i-was-the-second-youngest-child-in-a-family-that-took-up-the-better/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [Progress among the youngest children is especially important because we know that preventing obesity at an early age helps young people maintain a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/risa-lavizzo-mourey/progress-among-the-youngest-children-is-especially-important-because/) [Risa Lavizzo-Mourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/risa-lavizzo-mourey/) > [During the long drag of years before our youngest child went to school, my love for my family and my need to write were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/during-the-long-drag-of-years-before-our-youngest-child-went-to/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [My mom let me kind of run free and be rowdy. She encouraged it. I'm a youngest child. So I was spazzy and trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-samberg/my-mom-let-me-kind-of-run-free-and-be-rowdy-she-encouraged-it-i-m-a/) [Andy Samberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-samberg/) > [“Unlike her sisters’, her eyes were green— not the tarnished olive of her father’s, either, but a bottle green, nearly emerald. Ismay forced herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-j-pritzker/unlike-her-sisters-her-eyes-were-green-not-the-tarnished-olive-of-her/) Robyn J Pritzker ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. 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In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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For I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked to hard and too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment. I did not want to surrender fierceness for a small gain in yardage. My wife married a man; I saw no reason why she should inherit a baby. I knew that ten or twelve thousand miles driving a truck, alone and unattended, over every kind of road, would be hard work, but to me it represented the antidote for the poison of the professional sick man. And in my own life I am not willing to trade quality for quantity. If this projected journey should proved too much then it was time to go anyway. I see to many men delay their exits with a sickly, slow reluctance to leave the stage. It's bad theater as well as bad living. 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