--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My idea of Hell is to be young again." description: "\"My idea of Hell is to be young again.\" — Marge Piercy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/marge-piercy-2610_be-young_my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again-138_1383362.png" --- # My idea of Hell is to be young again. ![“My idea of Hell is to be young again.” quote by Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/marge-piercy-2610_be-young_my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again-138_1383362.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/marge-piercy-2610_be-young_my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again-138_1383362.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/marge-piercy-2610_be-young_my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again-138_1383362.png) > “My idea of Hell is to be young again.” [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) ## 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 equates the longing for youth with a personal vision of hell, suggesting that aging feels like a personal torment. **In simple terms:** Wishing to be young again feels like personal hell. Key Takeaway Embrace each life stage rather than idealizing youth. Themes age nostalgia identity Mood reflective somber Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - career transition - midlife crisis - creative renewal - health decisions Key Concepts existentialism psychology time Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your current age do you cherish? - How can you find purpose beyond youth? A Different Perspective Idealizing youth can ignore the value of experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Hell, I am young. I am free. My teeth are clean. The sun shines. To hell with everything else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/hell-i-am-young-i-am-free-my-teeth-are-clean-the-sun-shines-to-hell/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [We used to say "Ah Hell, we're young" But now we see that life is sad And so is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/we-used-to-say-ah-hell-we-re-young-but-now-we-see-that-life-is-sad/) [Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/) > [My idea of Hell would be, you go to Heaven and you're yourself up there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duchovny/my-idea-of-hell-would-be-you-go-to-heaven-and-you-re-yourself-up-there/) [David Duchovny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duchovny/) > [“I thought that was a wonderful idea, that one could be on hell without being in it, like “Just Visiting” on the Monopoly board.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-vann/i-thought-that-was-a-wonderful-idea-that-one-could-be-on-hell-without/) [David Vann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-vann/) > [I have no idea what the hell is going on in the world, in my life, in what anything means, or what I'm supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maus/i-have-no-idea-what-the-hell-is-going-on-in-the-world-in-my-life-in/) [John Maus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maus/) > [“My idea of Hell is to be stuck in a library where all the books were authored by Marcel Proust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-rainer/my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-stuck-in-a-library-where-all-the-books-were/) [Marc Rainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-rainer/) > [My idea of hell is a girlfriend ringing up and saying, 'Let's go shopping and have cocktails.' I'd rather play cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/my-idea-of-hell-is-a-girlfriend-ringing-up-and-saying-let-s-go/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [Lip synching in a video is usually my idea of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/lip-synching-in-a-video-is-usually-my-idea-of-hell/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [“There’s an idea that hell is other people. My idea is that it might be repetition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/there-s-an-idea-that-hell-is-other-people-my-idea-is-that-it-might-be/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Youth is not an essential, but rather an accidental property. Nobody is in essence young. One either ceases to be or ceases to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/youth-is-not-an-essential-but-rather-an-accidental-property-nobody-is/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [Be young. Keep yourself young by having a good, sporty car like a Corvette. It keeps you on your toes. It keeps you young.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/be-young-keep-yourself-young-by-having-a-good-sporty-car-like-a/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [It's great to be young and insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/it-s-great-to-be-young-and-insane/) [Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/) > [When I've taught writing to five, six, and seven year olds, it's not very different than talking to an adult writer. They're writers then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/when-i-ve-taught-writing-to-five-six-and-seven-year-olds-it-s-not/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [If the church is what it should be, young people will be there. But they will not just 'be there' - they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-the-church-is-what-it-should-be-young-people-will-be-there-but/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) ## More by Marge Piercy > [Shared laughter is erotic too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/shared-laughter-is-erotic-too/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Work is its own cure. You have to like it better than being loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/work-is-its-own-cure-you-have-to-like-it-better-than-being-loved/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [The anger of the weak never goes away, Professor, it just gets a little moldy. It molds like a beautiful blue cheese in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-anger-of-the-weak-never-goes-away-professor-it-just-gets-a-little/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [“The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-people-i-love-the-best-jump-into-work-head-first-without-dallying/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Every poet has a certain amount of "stuff." That's what you draw from for imagery. The more stuff you know well, not simply intellectually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/every-poet-has-a-certain-amount-of-stuff-that-s-what-you-draw-from/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [the body is simple as a turtle / and straight as a dog: / the body cannot lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-body-is-simple-as-a-turtle-and-straight-as-a-dog-the-body-cannot/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [We must shine with hope, stained glass windows that shape light into icons, glow like lanterns borne before a procession. Who can bear hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/we-must-shine-with-hope-stained-glass-windows-that-shape-light-into/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Remember that every son had a mother whose beloved son he was, and every woman had a mother whose beloved son she wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/remember-that-every-son-had-a-mother-whose-beloved-son-he-was-and/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [We live in a media soup and are constantly being programmed or are fighting that programming. Thus any truthful account of a life, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/we-live-in-a-media-soup-and-are-constantly-being-programmed-or-are/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [The moon is always female and so am I although often in the vale of razorblades I have wished I could put on and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-moon-is-always-female-and-so-am-i-although-often-in-the-vale-of/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Sometimes when a character in a novel is difficult for me to enter, I sue something in myself or in my own life as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/sometimes-when-a-character-in-a-novel-is-difficult-for-me-to-enter-i/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [Doorways are sacred to women for we are the doorways of life and we must choose what comes in and what goes out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/doorways-are-sacred-to-women-for-we-are-the-doorways-of-life-and-we/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [“Writing sometimes feels frivolous and sometimes sacred, but memory is one of my strongest muses. I serve her with my words. So long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/writing-sometimes-feels-frivolous-and-sometimes-sacred-but-memory-is/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [The work of the world is common as mud. Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust. But the thing worth doing well done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-work-of-the-world-is-common-as-mud-botched-it-smears-the-hands/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [We're herded into schools and terrified into behaving. Taught how we're supposed to pretend to be, taught to parrot all kinds of nonsense at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/we-re-herded-into-schools-and-terrified-into-behaving-taught-how-we/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) [Explore all 158 Marge Piercy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) ## More Be young quotes > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [Youth is not an essential, but rather an accidental property. Nobody is in essence young. One either ceases to be or ceases to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/youth-is-not-an-essential-but-rather-an-accidental-property-nobody-is/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [If the church is what it should be, young people will be there. But they will not just 'be there' - they will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-the-church-is-what-it-should-be-young-people-will-be-there-but/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [When I've taught writing to five, six, and seven year olds, it's not very different than talking to an adult writer. They're writers then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/when-i-ve-taught-writing-to-five-six-and-seven-year-olds-it-s-not/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [It's great to be young and insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/it-s-great-to-be-young-and-insane/) [Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/) > [Be young. Keep yourself young by having a good, sporty car like a Corvette. It keeps you on your toes. It keeps you young.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/be-young-keep-yourself-young-by-having-a-good-sporty-car-like-a/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [With an ear open to your musical dialectic, one can be young and become old, can work and rest, be content and sad: in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/with-an-ear-open-to-your-musical-dialectic-one-can-be-young-and/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [I want to be young for the longest time possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/onew/i-want-to-be-young-for-the-longest-time-possible/) [Onew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/onew/) > [All these teenagers tell us how much they want to grow up and then when they do they want to be young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/all-these-teenagers-tell-us-how-much-they-want-to-grow-up-and-then/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [To be young, gifted and black!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/to-be-young-gifted-and-black/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [It is socialism. It moves the country in a direction which is not good for anyone, whether they be young or old. It charts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-curtis/it-is-socialism-it-moves-the-country-in-a-direction-which-is-not-good/) Carl Curtis > [When we are young we believe to be adults; when we are adults we believe to be young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-bittencourt-de-oliveira/when-we-are-young-we-believe-to-be-adults-when-we-are-adults-we/) Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira > [usta be young usta be gifted - still black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-coleman/usta-be-young-usta-be-gifted-still-black/) Wanda Coleman > [To be young was very heaven!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/to-be-young-was-very-heaven/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [It's daring and challenging to be young and poor, but never to be old and poor. Whatever resources of good health, character, and fortitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-bryant-quinn/it-s-daring-and-challenging-to-be-young-and-poor-but-never-to-be-old/) [Jane Bryant Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-bryant-quinn/) Browse all 91 Be young quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My idea of Hell is to be young again.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marge Piercy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be young" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/marge-piercy-2610_be-young_my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again-138_1383362.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/marge-piercy-2610_be-young_my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again-138_1383362.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b2/marge-piercy-2610_be-young_my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again-138_1383362.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My idea of Hell is to be young again.” — Marge Piercy", "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": "Marge Piercy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My idea of Hell is to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/my-idea-of-hell-is-to-be-young-again/#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 } } ] } ```