--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the odd things about middle…" description: "\"“One of the odd things about middle age...was the strange decisions a man discovers he’s made by not really making them.”\" — Richard Russo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/richard-russo-1691_aging_one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-w_878786.png" --- # One of the odd things about middle age...was the strange… ![“One of the odd things about middle age...was the strange decisions a man discovers he’s made by not really making them.” quote by Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/richard-russo-1691_aging_one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-w_878786.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/richard-russo-1691_aging_one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-w_878786.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/richard-russo-1691_aging_one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-w_878786.png) > ““One of the odd things about middle age...was the strange decisions a man discovers he’s made by not really making them.”” [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Middle age reveals unexpected choices that feel like they were made without conscious intention, highlighting hidden self‑knowledge. **In simple terms:** Midlife uncovers hidden decisions. Key Takeaway Reflect on subconscious influences. Themes midlife self‑discovery choice Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - career transitions - family dynamics - personal growth Key Concepts psychology identity formation Questions to Reflect On - What unnoticed decisions have shaped your life? - How can you become more aware of hidden choices? A Different Perspective Self‑deception can mask true motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Middle age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-age/) [Odd things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odd-things/) ## Related quotes > [One of the odd things about middle age, he concluded, was the strange decisions a man discovers he's made by not really making them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-he-concluded-was-the-strange/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“And this happened to be a bizarre age, a strange time when great numbers of people believed every manipulative junk-science claim, dreading armageddons of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/and-this-happened-to-be-a-bizarre-age-a-strange-time-when-great/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Finding The Man. Keeping The Man. 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Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/) > [It's an odd thing when there is a fan page for my daughter who is not yet 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/it-s-an-odd-thing-when-there-is-a-fan-page-for-my-daughter-who-is-not/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [Fame is an odd thing. It bugs you a little bit, but it's really not bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corbett/fame-is-an-odd-thing-it-bugs-you-a-little-bit-but-it-s-really-not-bad/) [John Corbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corbett/) > [Don't give up on me now. I'm sorry. I guess that's an odd thing to say. Because isn't that what I'm doing? Giving up?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/don-t-give-up-on-me-now-i-m-sorry-i-guess-that-s-an-odd-thing-to-say/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) ## More by Richard Russo > [“The problem with the contemplative life was that there was no end to contemplation, no fixed time limit after which thought had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-problem-with-the-contemplative-life-was-that-there-was-no-end-to/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Miles couldn't help admiring women for their ability to dismiss the evidence of their senses. If that's what explained it. If it wasn't simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/miles-couldn-t-help-admiring-women-for-their-ability-to-dismiss-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [That afternoon I came to understand that one of the deepest purposes of intellectual sophistication is to provide distance between us and our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-afternoon-i-came-to-understand-that-one-of-the-deepest-purposes/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Lucy, who apparently had no idea his girlfriend's father held him in such low regard, agreed with Noonan that he was pushing the envelope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/lucy-who-apparently-had-no-idea-his-girlfriend-s-father-held-him-in/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Movies have to handle time very efficiently. They're about stringing scenes together in the present. Novels aren't necessarily about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/movies-have-to-handle-time-very-efficiently-they-re-about-stringing/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“There was something about spending money they didn't really have that made him optimistic about more coming in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/there-was-something-about-spending-money-they-didn-t-really-have-that/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Some authors have a very hard time understanding that in order to be faithful to the spirit of the book, it's almost always impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/some-authors-have-a-very-hard-time-understanding-that-in-order-to-be/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/hbo-is-really-famous-for-hiring-good-people-and-staying-out-of-their/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of material in the world. Or in my head. I just pray for continued good health, because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-material-in-the-world-or-in-my/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Where was the middle ground between a sense of adventure and just plain sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/where-was-the-middle-ground-between-a-sense-of-adventure-and-just/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Non basta una vita "One life isn't enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/non-basta-una-vita-one-life-isn-t-enough/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“... Mr. Purty has cheered me up. The task he has chosen for himself, of wooing my mother with a bright red pickup truck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/mr-purty-has-cheered-me-up-the-task-he-has-chosen-for-himself-of/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“So what? Few men, Miles reflected, lived so comfortably within the confines of a two.word personal philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/so-what-few-men-miles-reflected-lived-so-comfortably-within-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) [Explore all 214 Richard Russo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## More Aging quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One of the odd things about middle age...was the strange decisions a man discovers he’s made by not really making them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Russo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-was-the-strange-decisions-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-was-the-strange-decisions-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/richard-russo-1691_aging_one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-w_878786.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/richard-russo-1691_aging_one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-w_878786.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/richard-russo-1691_aging_one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-w_878786.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of the odd things about middle age...was the strange decisions a man discovers he’s made by not really…” — Richard Russo", "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": "Richard Russo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“One of the odd things about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-was-the-strange-decisions-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/one-of-the-odd-things-about-middle-age-was-the-strange-decisions-a/#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 } } ] } ```