--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was very young when I prepared those…" description: "\"I was very young when I prepared those prints. I suspect the reason I couldn't celebrate the floating world was that I couldn't bring myself to believe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_appreciate_i-was-very-young-when-i-prepared-those-p_1648097.jpg" --- # I was very young when I prepared those prints. I suspect… ![“I was very young when I prepared those prints. I suspect the reason I couldn't celebrate the floating world was that I couldn't bring myself to believe in its worth. Young men are often guilt-ridden about pleasure, and I suppose I was no different. I suppose I thought that to pass away one's time…” quote by Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_appreciate_i-was-very-young-when-i-prepared-those-p_1648097.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_appreciate_i-was-very-young-when-i-prepared-those-p_1648097.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_appreciate_i-was-very-young-when-i-prepared-those-p_1648097.jpg) > “I was very young when I prepared those prints. I suspect the reason I couldn't celebrate the floating world was that I couldn't bring myself to believe in its worth. Young men are often guilt-ridden about pleasure, and I suppose I was no different. I suppose I thought that to pass away one's time in such places, to spend one's skills celebrating things so intangible and transient, I suppose I thought it all rather wasteful, all rather decadent. It's hard to appreciate the beauty of a world when one doubts its very validity” [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) ## 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 doubts the value of fleeting pleasure, feeling guilt and seeing it as wasteful, which blocks appreciation of beauty. **In simple terms:** Guilt blocks enjoyment of fleeting beauty. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions about pleasure. Themes guilt pleasure beauty transience self‑judgment Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - art criticism - personal reflection - creative work - mindfulness - cultural analysis Key Concepts existentialism aesthetic appreciation Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs make you deem pleasure wasteful? - How can you honor transient beauty without guilt? A Different Perspective Pleasure can be meaningful despite its impermanence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubts/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Passing away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passing-away/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [“The best things, he always used to say, are put together of a night and vanish with the morning. What people call the floating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-best-things-he-always-used-to-say-are-put-together-of-a-night-and/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“My conscience, Sensei, tells me I cannot remain forever an artist of the floating world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/my-conscience-sensei-tells-me-i-cannot-remain-forever-an-artist-of/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“Once you start celebrating things, you stop progressing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-irving/once-you-start-celebrating-things-you-stop-progressing/) Pete Irving > [I always traveled by myself on the airplane, stayed at hotels by myself. Even though I got some big campaign, I couldn't celebrate with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoyeon-jung/i-always-traveled-by-myself-on-the-airplane-stayed-at-hotels-by/) [HoYeon Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoyeon-jung/) > [“I was pissed that I couldn’t go out and celebrate like someone turning twenty-one typically would, so I wore black hair to show my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-maxlyn/i-was-pissed-that-i-couldn-t-go-out-and-celebrate-like-someone/) [Amanda Maxlyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-maxlyn/) > [“So why sit around wasting time dwelling on what could have gone wrong? Shouldn't we be celebrating all the things that went right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/so-why-sit-around-wasting-time-dwelling-on-what-could-have-gone-wrong/) [Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/) > [We couldn't celebrate the birth of our twins, as the moment they were born, we found out within 15 minutes that one needed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kashmira-shah/we-couldn-t-celebrate-the-birth-of-our-twins-as-the-moment-they-were/) [Kashmira Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kashmira-shah/) > [I celebrate everything. We always had a menorah and a Christmas tree - not for any reason other than we always liked celebrating things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-rainbow/i-celebrate-everything-we-always-had-a-menorah-and-a-christmas-tree/) [Randy Rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-rainbow/) > [Year's end, all corners of this floating world, swept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matsuo-basho/year-s-end-all-corners-of-this-floating-world-swept/) [Matsuo Basho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matsuo-basho/) > [“Why do you weep, child? We of the Floating World live only for the moment, giving all our time to the pleasures of cherry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/why-do-you-weep-child-we-of-the-floating-world-live-only-for-the/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [The floating world is the realm of the graphic designer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-betsky/the-floating-world-is-the-realm-of-the-graphic-designer/) Aaron Betsky > [Knowing that all things contrary to God's laws are transient, let us avoid despair and radiate hope for a warless world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/knowing-that-all-things-contrary-to-god-s-laws-are-transient-let-us/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [Were not the gods forms created like me and you, mortal, transient?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/were-not-the-gods-forms-created-like-me-and-you-mortal-transient/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Fashion is transient, trends come and go. I believe in style, not fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-lauren/fashion-is-transient-trends-come-and-go-i-believe-in-style-not-fashion/) [Ralph Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-lauren/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Kazuo Ishiguro > [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [As a writer, I'm more interested in what people tell themselves happened rather than what actually happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/as-a-writer-i-m-more-interested-in-what-people-tell-themselves/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“About him and his wife voting for different parties. A few years ago that would have been unthinkable.” “No doubt.” “Quite extraordinary the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/about-him-and-his-wife-voting-for-different-parties-a-few-years-ago/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“But what is the sense in forever speculating what might have happened had such and such a moment turned out differently? One could presumably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-what-is-the-sense-in-forever-speculating-what-might-have-happened/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“Silence is just as likely to indicate the most profound ideas forming, the deepest energies being summoned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/silence-is-just-as-likely-to-indicate-the-most-profound-ideas-forming/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“I don't know why, but it didn't seem an option for more than one of us to storm off, and I wanted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-don-t-know-why-but-it-didn-t-seem-an-option-for-more-than-one-of-us/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [Our family arrived in England in 1960. At that time I thought the war was ancient history. But if I think of 15 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/our-family-arrived-in-england-in-1960-at-that-time-i-thought-the-war/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/he-chose-a-certain-path-in-life-it-proved-to-be-a-misguided-one-but/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“For however one may come in later years to reassess one’s achievements, it is always a consolation to know that one’s life has contained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/for-however-one-may-come-in-later-years-to-reassess-one-s/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [You're always in a rush, or else you're too exhausted to have a proper conversation. Soon enough, the long hours, the traveling, the broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/you-re-always-in-a-rush-or-else-you-re-too-exhausted-to-have-a-proper/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I don't think it's any fun, even if you are one of the most respected authors in the world like Margaret Atwood, to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-don-t-think-it-s-any-fun-even-if-you-are-one-of-the-most-respected/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I think it's quite difficult to understand what kind of life a writer leads. They might be millionaires, or they might be starving people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-think-it-s-quite-difficult-to-understand-what-kind-of-life-a-writer/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“But this small episode is as good an illustration as any of the hazards of uttering witticisms. By the very nature of a witticism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-this-small-episode-is-as-good-an-illustration-as-any-of-the/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [There comes a point when you can more or less count the number of books you're going to write before you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/there-comes-a-point-when-you-can-more-or-less-count-the-number-of/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [My wife is the most savage critic. She doesn't feel intimidated by my reputation. As far as she's concerned, she's just criticising a boyfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/my-wife-is-the-most-savage-critic-she-doesn-t-feel-intimidated-by-my/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) [Explore all 292 Kazuo Ishiguro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) ## More Appreciate quotes > [All I hear is the people that appreciate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hardy/all-i-hear-is-the-people-that-appreciate-me/) [Greg Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hardy/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Time is really gold,spent it wisely with the people around you.Spread love,appreciate the beauty around you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jglargosta/time-is-really-gold-spent-it-wisely-with-the-people-around-you-spread/) [Jglargosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jglargosta/) > [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [The connoisseur of art must be able to appreciate what is simply beautiful, but the common run of people is satisfied with ornament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-connoisseur-of-art-must-be-able-to-appreciate-what-is-simply/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [This time, there were no drugs involved. The hours were completely normal daytime hours. I think we were able to appreciate the interplay, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/this-time-there-were-no-drugs-involved-the-hours-were-completely/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [I would like beautiful gymnastics to be recognized as the best. I want the judges to appreciate things that are not necessarily winning points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kohei-uchimura/i-would-like-beautiful-gymnastics-to-be-recognized-as-the-best-i-want/) [Kohei Uchimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kohei-uchimura/) > [One of the most important rules for success is this: Every great success is the result of hundreds and thousands of small efforts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/one-of-the-most-important-rules-for-success-is-this-every-great/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [It's great at this stage in my life to still be in the running, that people appreciate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/it-s-great-at-this-stage-in-my-life-to-still-be-in-the-running-that/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Love is too wonderful for us but why we often times do not ever appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamad-idrus/love-is-too-wonderful-for-us-but-why-we-often-times-do-not-ever/) [Mohamad Idrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamad-idrus/) > [I think the most important thing is to stay hopeful, to believe wonderful things are possible and do your best. Basically, to not give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-a-hoffman/i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-to-stay-hopeful-to-believe/) [Irena A. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-a-hoffman/) > [“Admire and appreciate your man and he will be happy on your side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-alfiori/admire-and-appreciate-your-man-and-he-will-be-happy-on-your-side/) [Linda Alfiori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-alfiori/) Browse all 3,873 Appreciate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was very young when I prepared those prints. I suspect the reason I couldn't celebrate the floating world was that I couldn't bring myself to believe in its worth. Young men are often guilt-ridden about pleasure, and I suppose I was no different. 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