--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The youngest, aged twelve, could not…" description: "\"“The youngest, aged twelve, could not conceal her disappointment, and turned away, feeling as so many of us have felt when we discover that our idols a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/louisa-may-alcott-318_idols_the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conce_142756.jpg" --- # The youngest, aged twelve, could not conceal her… ![“The youngest, aged twelve, could not conceal her disappointment, and turned away, feeling as so many of us have felt when we discover that our idols are very extraordinary men and women.” quote by Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/louisa-may-alcott-318_idols_the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conce_142756.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/louisa-may-alcott-318_idols_the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conce_142756.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/louisa-may-alcott-318_idols_the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conce_142756.jpg) > ““The youngest, aged twelve, could not conceal her disappointment, and turned away, feeling as so many of us have felt when we discover that our idols are very extraordinary men and women.”” [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Disappointment arises when idols reveal their humanity, shattering idealized images. **In simple terms:** Heroes are human too. Key Takeaway Accept flaws in role models. Themes disillusionment growth realism expectations Mood thoughtful melancholic Type literary reflective When to use this quote - reading literature - celebrating public figures - personal mentorship Key Concepts hero worship psychology developmental learning Questions to Reflect On - What expectations do you hold for admired individuals? - How can you find value beyond perfection? A Different Perspective Idealization can hinder realistic expectations and personal agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idols/) [Jo-s-boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jo-s-boys/) [Louisa-may-alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/louisa-may-alcott/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) ## Related quotes > [“Tired of my own company, I suppose, now I've seen so much better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/tired-of-my-own-company-i-suppose-now-i-ve-seen-so-much-better/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…for it is a very solemn thing to be arrested in the midst of busy life by the possibility of the great change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/for-it-is-a-very-solemn-thing-to-be-arrested-in-the-midst-of-busy/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…but I never shall be very wise, I'm afraid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/but-i-never-shall-be-very-wise-i-m-afraid/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…growing pale and sober with the thought that her fate was soon to be decided; for, like all young people, she was sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/growing-pale-and-sober-with-the-thought-that-her-fate-was-soon-to-be/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…courage and devotion always stir generous hearts, and win admiration…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/courage-and-devotion-always-stir-generous-hearts-and-win-admiration/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“If every one agreed, we should never get on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/if-every-one-agreed-we-should-never-get-on/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Young people seldom turn out as one predicts, so it is of little use to expect anything,' said Mrs. Meg with a sigh. 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/young-people-seldom-turn-out-as-one-predicts-so-it-is-of-little-use/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Don't take it away! It's only a fancy, but a man must love something…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/don-t-take-it-away-it-s-only-a-fancy-but-a-man-must-love-something/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Love should not make us blind to faults, nor familiarity make us too ready to blame the shortcomings we see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/love-should-not-make-us-blind-to-faults-nor-familiarity-make-us-too/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…but mortal man was helpless there…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/but-mortal-man-was-helpless-there/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Boys don't gush, so I can stand it. The last time I let in a party of girls, one fell into my arms and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/boys-don-t-gush-so-i-can-stand-it-the-last-time-i-let-in-a-party-of/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Don't suggest that we are growing old, my Lord. We have only bloomed; and a very nice bouquet we make with our buds about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/don-t-suggest-that-we-are-growing-old-my-lord-we-have-only-bloomed/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…she never had what she wanted till she had given up hoping for,' said Mrs. Meg.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/she-never-had-what-she-wanted-till-she-had-given-up-hoping-for-said/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…I'm always ready to talk, shouldn't be a woman if I were not,' laughed Mrs. Jo…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-m-always-ready-to-talk-shouldn-t-be-a-woman-if-i-were-not-laughed/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“It is a merciful provision my dears, for it takes three or four women to get each man into, through, and out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/it-is-a-merciful-provision-my-dears-for-it-takes-three-or-four-women/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## More by Louisa May Alcott > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“At three o'clock in the afternoon, all the fashionable world at Nice may be seen on the Promenade des Anglais—a charming place, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/at-three-o-clock-in-the-afternoon-all-the-fashionable-world-at-nice/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Please could I say one word?" was the question three times repeated before a rough head boobed out from the grotto of books in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/please-could-i-say-one-word-was-the-question-three-times-repeated/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Elegance has a bad effect on my constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/elegance-has-a-bad-effect-on-my-constitution/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…the child's heart bled when it was broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-child-s-heart-bled-when-it-was-broken/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“She would make a man of me. She puts strength and courage into me as no one else can. She is unlike any girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/she-would-make-a-man-of-me-she-puts-strength-and-courage-into-me-as/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I read somewhere that every inch of rope used in the British Navy has a strand of red in it, so that wherever a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-read-somewhere-that-every-inch-of-rope-used-in-the-british-navy-has/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Chance words spoken in kindness often help amazingly; and that's what old people are here for -- else their experience is of little use.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/chance-words-spoken-in-kindness-often-help-amazingly-and-that-s-what/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Tired of my own company, I suppose, now I've seen so much better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/tired-of-my-own-company-i-suppose-now-i-ve-seen-so-much-better/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Oft in the silence of the night, When the lonely moon rides high, When wintry winds are whistling, And we hear the owl's shrill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/oft-in-the-silence-of-the-night-when-the-lonely-moon-rides-high-when/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [But buds will be roses, and kittens, cats - more's the pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/but-buds-will-be-roses-and-kittens-cats-more-s-the-pity/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I'll try and be what he loves to call me, 'a little woman' and not be rough and wild, but do my duty here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-ll-try-and-be-what-he-loves-to-call-me-a-little-woman-and-not-be/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all that you really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/if-you-feel-your-value-lies-in-being-merely-decorative-i-fear-that/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“ "I do not ask for any crown But that which all may win; Nor try to conquer any world Except the world within." ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-do-not-ask-for-any-crown-but-that-which-all-may-win-nor-try-to/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/some-books-are-so-familiar-that-reading-them-is-like-being-home-again/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) [Explore all 681 Louisa May Alcott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## More Idols quotes > [That's one of my idols, I really look up to Pacquiao. This guy is everything I would want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/that-s-one-of-my-idols-i-really-look-up-to-pacquiao-this-guy-is/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [Tis easy to break an idol, very easy: to regard the self as easy to subdue is folly, folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/tis-easy-to-break-an-idol-very-easy-to-regard-the-self-as-easy-to/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [ The fact that an Englishman has an Argentinian as an idol is very rare. I keep watching my \[title-winning\] goal against QPR and every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-aguero/the-fact-that-an-englishman-has-an-argentinian-as-an-idol-is-very/) [Sergio Aguero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-aguero/) > [Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/proof-is-an-idol-before-which-the-mathematician-tortures-himself/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [“‎A careful reading of the Old and New Testaments shows that idolatry is nothing like the crude picture that springs to mind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-keyes/a-careful-reading-of-the-old-and-new-testaments-shows-that-idolatry/) Richard Keyes > [I'm cute - and God I hate that. Because that's not cool. I'm like your niece, and nobody wants to date their niece. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-clarkson/i-m-cute-and-god-i-hate-that-because-that-s-not-cool-i-m-like-your/) [Kelly Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-clarkson/) > [The idols of one's adolescence tend to endure - you never forget how you worshipped them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-idols-of-one-s-adolescence-tend-to-endure-you-never-forget-how/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [“We must not touch our idols; the gilt sticks to our fingers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/we-must-not-touch-our-idols-the-gilt-sticks-to-our-fingers/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [My idol was Sandino, and also Christ. I was brought up a Christian, but I regarded Christ as a rebel, a revolutionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ortega/my-idol-was-sandino-and-also-christ-i-was-brought-up-a-christian-but/) [Daniel Ortega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ortega/) > [My idols have always stuck to their guns and said what they want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-patrick/my-idols-have-always-stuck-to-their-guns-and-said-what-they-want-to-do/) [Richard Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-patrick/) > [A lot of the former Idols were voting for me, and that makes me feel really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-porsha-renae/a-lot-of-the-former-idols-were-voting-for-me-and-that-makes-me-feel/) [La'Porsha Renae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-porsha-renae/) > [And one fine day the goddess of the wind kisses the foot of man, that mistreated, scorned foot, and from that kiss the soccer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/and-one-fine-day-the-goddess-of-the-wind-kisses-the-foot-of-man-that/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [First Moloch, horrid king, besmirched in blood, Of Human sacrifice, and parent's tears, Though, for the noise of drums and timbrels loud, Their childrens'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/first-moloch-horrid-king-besmirched-in-blood-of-human-sacrifice-and/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [We think that idols are bad things, but that is almost never the case. The greater the good, the more likely we are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/we-think-that-idols-are-bad-things-but-that-is-almost-never-the-case/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Browse all 856 Idols quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idols/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The youngest, aged twelve, could not conceal her disappointment, and turned away, feeling as so many of us have felt when we discover that our idols are very extraordinary men and women.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louisa May Alcott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conceal-her-disappointment-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Idols" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conceal-her-disappointment-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/louisa-may-alcott-318_idols_the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conce_142756.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/louisa-may-alcott-318_idols_the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conce_142756.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c0/louisa-may-alcott-318_idols_the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conce_142756.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The youngest, aged twelve, could not conceal her disappointment, and turned away, feeling as so many of us…” — Louisa May Alcott", "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": "Louisa May Alcott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The youngest, aged twelve, could not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conceal-her-disappointment-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conceal-her-disappointment-and/#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 } } ] } ```