--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are always talking about the old…" description: "\"People are always talking about the old days. They say that the old movies were better, that the old actors were so great. But I don't think so. All I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kirk-douglas-4420_about_people-are-always-talking-about-the-old_547045.jpg" --- # People are always talking about the old days. They say… ![“People are always talking about the old days. They say that the old movies were better, that the old actors were so great. But I don't think so. All I can say about the old days is that they have passed.” quote by Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kirk-douglas-4420_about_people-are-always-talking-about-the-old_547045.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kirk-douglas-4420_about_people-are-always-talking-about-the-old_547045.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kirk-douglas-4420_about_people-are-always-talking-about-the-old_547045.jpg) > “People are always talking about the old days. They say that the old movies were better, that the old actors were so great. But I don't think so. All I can say about the old days is that they have passed.” [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nostalgia romanticizes the past, but the past is simply gone and cannot be reclaimed. **In simple terms:** The past is gone, not better. Key Takeaway Accept change, focus on present. Themes nostalgia history perception Mood reflective melancholic Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - family gatherings - film discussions - historical debates Key Concepts subjectivity memory idealization Questions to Reflect On - How does nostalgia affect your decisions? - What can we learn from past without idealizing? A Different Perspective Past cannot be improved; idealizing can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Old days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-days/) [Old movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-movies/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I have forgiven all the old actors for dying. A new one comes on with the same lines, like large white growths, in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/i-have-forgiven-all-the-old-actors-for-dying-a-new-one-comes-on-with/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [Some people think we're 25-year-old actors who don't live in Laguna. Some don't even think Kristin's my real name. I'm like, 'No, that's real'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cavallari/some-people-think-we-re-25-year-old-actors-who-don-t-live-in-laguna/) [Kristin Cavallari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cavallari/) > [I try to give my work everything I've got, because when you're dead or you're out of the business or you're in an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-try-to-give-my-work-everything-i-ve-got-because-when-you-re-dead-or/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [For old actors, just remember that inside you're only 14. Acting is for kids. You poor old grown-ups, you've forgotten how to do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/for-old-actors-just-remember-that-inside-you-re-only-14-acting-is-for/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Old politicians, like old actors, revive in the limelight. The vacancy which afflicts them in private momentarily lifts when, oncemore, they feel the eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/old-politicians-like-old-actors-revive-in-the-limelight-the-vacancy/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [The old actors in the old days, they used to go on tour, to get the play ready for the West End, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-courtenay/the-old-actors-in-the-old-days-they-used-to-go-on-tour-to-get-the/) [Tom Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-courtenay/) > [It's true that old actors don't die, their parts get smaller. You're less likely to get the part, many parts, if you're playing people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-finney/it-s-true-that-old-actors-don-t-die-their-parts-get-smaller-you-re/) [Albert Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-finney/) > [Old actors never die, they don't even fade away. They're always available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-johnson/old-actors-never-die-they-don-t-even-fade-away-they-re-always/) [Russell Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-johnson/) > [“You're such a young king. I barely remember being your age." "Then clearly we're talking about how old you are, not how young I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-a-nielsen/you-re-such-a-young-king-i-barely-remember-being-your-age-then/) [Jennifer A. Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-a-nielsen/) > [I generally try to avoid talking about my old films - I find it difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-roeg/i-generally-try-to-avoid-talking-about-my-old-films-i-find-it/) [Nicolas Roeg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-roeg/) > [“She knew why the Colonel had hated talking about the old days. Because the moment you looked back, and began to make your tally,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/she-knew-why-the-colonel-had-hated-talking-about-the-old-days-because/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [I remember talking to old-school African American grandpops, and they're just like, 'When I saw my wife, I looked up from across the street,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-orji/i-remember-talking-to-old-school-african-american-grandpops-and-they/) [Yvonne Orji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-orji/) > [Talking To Your Old Friend Makes U Realize How Much Your Life Has Changed... :( Talking to your old friend makes u realize how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/talking-to-your-old-friend-makes-u-realize-how-much-your-life-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you are considering marriage, ask yourself one question: Will I still enjoy talking with her when I'm old?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/if-you-are-considering-marriage-ask-yourself-one-question-will-i/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I got to talking to an old actor, and he had a bunch of stories about the Rough Riders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/i-got-to-talking-to-an-old-actor-and-he-had-a-bunch-of-stories-about/) [Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/) ## More by Kirk Douglas > [If I can get enough signatures, to present an apology to slavery, I will present it to the President. The House of Representatives has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/if-i-can-get-enough-signatures-to-present-an-apology-to-slavery-i/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [When I produced Spartacus, the writer was Dalton Trumbo, who spent a year in jail because he would not answer McCarthy's questions about other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/when-i-produced-spartacus-the-writer-was-dalton-trumbo-who-spent-a/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [When you get old the worst thing is you lose so many friends. Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne. People who I loved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/when-you-get-old-the-worst-thing-is-you-lose-so-many-friends-burt/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [Know what a loner is? He's a born cripple. He's a cripple because the only person he can live with is himself. It's his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/know-what-a-loner-is-he-s-a-born-cripple-he-s-a-cripple-because-the/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [When you have a stroke, you must talk slowly to be understood, and I've discovered that when I talk slowly, people listen. They think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/when-you-have-a-stroke-you-must-talk-slowly-to-be-understood-and-i-ve/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [Love has more depth as you get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/love-has-more-depth-as-you-get-older/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [On a crowded bus in Israel, a mother was speaking to her son in Yiddish. An Israeli woman reprimanded her. "You should be speaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/on-a-crowded-bus-in-israel-a-mother-was-speaking-to-her-son-in/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [You know, you have to have some inner philosophy to deal with adversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/you-know-you-have-to-have-some-inner-philosophy-to-deal-with-adversity/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I've played some good guys as well, in Spartacus, Paths of Glory and my favorite picture, Lonely Are the Brave, so I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-ve-played-some-good-guys-as-well-in-spartacus-paths-of-glory-and-my/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I never had any desire to be a film actor. I never thought I was the good-looking movie type, which I assumed they wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-never-had-any-desire-to-be-a-film-actor-i-never-thought-i-was-the/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [When you get to my age, you find that most of your dear friends are gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/when-you-get-to-my-age-you-find-that-most-of-your-dear-friends-are/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I came from abject poverty. There was nowhere to go but up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-came-from-abject-poverty-there-was-nowhere-to-go-but-up/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [You'll never see Spartacus in a (expletive) chair!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/you-ll-never-see-spartacus-in-a-expletive-chair/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I'm a loner clear down deep to my guts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-m-a-loner-clear-down-deep-to-my-guts/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I went to Hollywood to test for Martha Ivers and I thought I was going to play the part that Van Heflin played.But they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/i-went-to-hollywood-to-test-for-martha-ivers-and-i-thought-i-was/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) [Explore all 111 Kirk Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People are always talking about the old days. They say that the old movies were better, that the old actors were so great. But I don't think so. All I can say about the old days is that they have passed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kirk Douglas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/people-are-always-talking-about-the-old-days-they-say-that-the-old/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/people-are-always-talking-about-the-old-days-they-say-that-the-old/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kirk-douglas-4420_about_people-are-always-talking-about-the-old_547045.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kirk-douglas-4420_about_people-are-always-talking-about-the-old_547045.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/543/kirk-douglas-4420_about_people-are-always-talking-about-the-old_547045.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People are always talking about the old days. They say that the old movies were better, that the old actors…” — Kirk Douglas", "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": "Kirk Douglas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People are always talking about the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/people-are-always-talking-about-the-old-days-they-say-that-the-old/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/people-are-always-talking-about-the-old-days-they-say-that-the-old/#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 } } ] } ```