---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Youth is wholly experimental."
description: "\"Youth is wholly experimental.\" — Robert Louis Stevenson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/295/robert-louis-stevenson-289_research_youth-is-wholly-experimental-1795672_1795672.jpg"
---

#  Youth is wholly experimental.

![“Youth is wholly experimental.” quote by Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/295/robert-louis-stevenson-289_research_youth-is-wholly-experimental-1795672_1795672.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/295/robert-louis-stevenson-289_research_youth-is-wholly-experimental-1795672_1795672.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/295/robert-louis-stevenson-289_research_youth-is-wholly-experimental-1795672_1795672.jpg)

> “Youth is wholly experimental.”

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Youth is a period of experimentation, trying new identities and ideas.

**In simple terms:** Youth is about trying things.

Key Takeaway

Embrace experimentation while young.

Themes

growth identity adventure

Mood

optimistic energetic

Type

advice motivational

When to use this quote

- education
- personal development
- career choices

Key Concepts

exploratory learning risk-taking

Questions to Reflect On

- What risks are worth taking?
- How to balance curiosity and safety?

A Different Perspective

Experimentation can lead to harmful mistakes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Experimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experimental/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Wholly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholly/) [Wholly Experimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholly-experimental-1986013/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) [Youth Wholly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth-wholly-1986012/)

## Related quotes

> [To know what you like is the beginning of wisdom and of old age. Youth is wholly experimental. The essence and charm of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/to-know-what-you-like-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom-and-of-old-age-youth/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The way you become divine is to become wholly human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-you-become-divine-is-to-become-wholly-human/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [The perfection of Christian character depends wholly upon the grace and strength found alone in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/the-perfection-of-christian-character-depends-wholly-upon-the-grace/)

[Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/)

> [Every man is wholly honest to himself and to God, but not to any one else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/every-man-is-wholly-honest-to-himself-and-to-god-but-not-to-any-one/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Only the half-mad are wholly alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/only-the-half-mad-are-wholly-alive/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [I've been making bronze sculptures for a long time. My sculptures are wholly unsuccessful and uncommercial. No one is even the remotest bit interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/i-ve-been-making-bronze-sculptures-for-a-long-time-my-sculptures-are/)

[Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/)

> [The novel that's contemporary in the sense of being wholly 'of now' is an impossibility, if only because novels may take years to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-swift/the-novel-that-s-contemporary-in-the-sense-of-being-wholly-of-now-is/)

[Graham Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-swift/)

> [My mind wanders terribly. I'm not wholly annoyed by my daydreaming as it has been immense use to me as regards imaginative thought, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/my-mind-wanders-terribly-i-m-not-wholly-annoyed-by-my-daydreaming-as/)

[Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/)

> [Postmodernism came nowhere close in quality to Modernism at its apogee, not least because that later style wholly lacked the social impetus that animated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/postmodernism-came-nowhere-close-in-quality-to-modernism-at-its/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [My experience of children on a film set, especially on a big film set like the 'Potter' one, is not wholly positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-cave/my-experience-of-children-on-a-film-set-especially-on-a-big-film-set/)

[Jessie Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-cave/)

> [I am wholly yours - you are everything to me; we will sustain each other in all the ills of life it may please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/i-am-wholly-yours-you-are-everything-to-me-we-will-sustain-each-other/)

[Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/)

> [“She was not a half. She was wholly her own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-ahdieh/she-was-not-a-half-she-was-wholly-her-own/)

[Renee Ahdieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-ahdieh/)

> [I ascribe my change wholly to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-ascribe-my-change-wholly-to-god/)

[Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/)

> [He defined himself almost wholly in the negative: It was not who he was, it was who he was not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bohjalian/he-defined-himself-almost-wholly-in-the-negative-it-was-not-who-he/)

[Chris Bohjalian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bohjalian/)

> [Love is either wholly folly, or fully holy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-burch/love-is-either-wholly-folly-or-fully-holy/)

[Michael R. Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-burch/)

## More by Robert Louis Stevenson

> [You must suffer me to go my own dark way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/you-must-suffer-me-to-go-my-own-dark-way/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Nobody speaks of a beautifful view for 5 minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/nobody-speaks-of-a-beautifful-view-for-5-minutes/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find is an honest friend. He is a fortunate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/we-are-all-travelers-in-the-wilderness-of-this-world-and-the-best/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The little rift between the sexes is astonishingly widened by simply teaching one set of catchwords to the girls and another to the boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-little-rift-between-the-sexes-is-astonishingly-widened-by-simply/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The problem of education is twofold: first to know, and then to utter. Everyone who lives any semblance of an inner life thinks more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-problem-of-education-is-twofold-first-to-know-and-then-to-utter/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [“For thirty years," he said, "I've sailed the seas and seen good and bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/for-thirty-years-he-said-i-ve-sailed-the-seas-and-seen-good-and-bad/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [“Mutiny, it was plain, hung over us like a thunder-cloud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/mutiny-it-was-plain-hung-over-us-like-a-thunder-cloud/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Jealousy is the most radical primeval and naked form of admiration in war paint, so to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/jealousy-is-the-most-radical-primeval-and-naked-form-of-admiration-in/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [It is the property of things seen for the first time, or for the first time after long, like the flowers in spring, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/it-is-the-property-of-things-seen-for-the-first-time-or-for-the-first/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [You have no idea, unless you have tried it, how endlessly long is a summer's day, that you measure out only by hunger, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/you-have-no-idea-unless-you-have-tried-it-how-endlessly-long-is-a/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Do not measure success by today's harvest. Measure success by the seeds you plant today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/do-not-measure-success-by-today-s-harvest-measure-success-by-the/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [To be idle requires a strong sense of personal identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/to-be-idle-requires-a-strong-sense-of-personal-identity/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Saints are sinners who kept on going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/saints-are-sinners-who-kept-on-going/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Loving God, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/loving-god-help-us-remember-the-birth-of-jesus-that-we-may-share-in/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The friendly cow, all red and white, I love with all my heart; She gives me cream with all her might, To eat with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-friendly-cow-all-red-and-white-i-love-with-all-my-heart-she-gives/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

[Explore all 701 Robert Louis Stevenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

## More Experimental quotes

> [I think the most experimental way to a film is to tell the story the traditional way, because everyone is doing the other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-think-the-most-experimental-way-to-a-film-is-to-tell-the-story-the/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [If I have to be 'the experimental guy' or whatever, then I'll roll with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flying-lotus/if-i-have-to-be-the-experimental-guy-or-whatever-then-i-ll-roll-with/)

[Flying Lotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flying-lotus/)

> [Post-minimalism implies music that's genre-less. Minimalism was very important because it came at a time when contemporary music had become so complex, so experimental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-beiser/post-minimalism-implies-music-that-s-genre-less-minimalism-was-very/)

[Maya Beiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-beiser/)

> [You don't do an experimental film to become rich, so the people who are involved are involved because they enjoy the creative aspect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/you-don-t-do-an-experimental-film-to-become-rich-so-the-people-who/)

[Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/)

> [People usually call me for experimental songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-ali/people-usually-call-me-for-experimental-songs/)

[Javed Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-ali/)

> [the attempt to break a habit of years is necessarily experimental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-deland/the-attempt-to-break-a-habit-of-years-is-necessarily-experimental/)

[Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/)

> [But, in the name of the experimental method and out of our poor knowledge, are we really entitled to claim that everything happens by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-claude/but-in-the-name-of-the-experimental-method-and-out-of-our-poor/)

[Albert Claude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-claude/)

> [At the age of 60, I am less experimental and more mature. I want most of all to convey my understanding of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/at-the-age-of-60-i-am-less-experimental-and-more-mature-i-want-most/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [“Never give up your right to be wrong, and be sure to give others that right too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/never-give-up-your-right-to-be-wrong-and-be-sure-to-give-others-that/)

[Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/)

> [New situations requiring closer contact with the rabbit had been gradually introduced and the degree to which these situations were avoided, tolerated, or welcomed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-jones/new-situations-requiring-closer-contact-with-the-rabbit-had-been/)

[Mary C. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-jones/)

> [In 'Demon's Souls,' we tried to implement some features in a kind of experimental way, not being sure whether or not it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hidetaka-miyazaki/in-demon-s-souls-we-tried-to-implement-some-features-in-a-kind-of/)

[Hidetaka Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hidetaka-miyazaki/)

> [You need to be experimental. You try things, and it is OK if they don't always work necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronan-keating/you-need-to-be-experimental-you-try-things-and-it-is-ok-if-they-don-t/)

[Ronan Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronan-keating/)

> [I studied science and journalism at the University of Colorado and then got interested in experimental film there and started doing my own films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-darnell/i-studied-science-and-journalism-at-the-university-of-colorado-and/)

[Eric Darnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-darnell/)

> [I was originally a painter, and I made films sort of as an extension of that, and then I started to try to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-was-originally-a-painter-and-i-made-films-sort-of-as-an-extension/)

[Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/)

> [“Kindle with your computer Using the Experimental”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amazon/kindle-with-your-computer-using-the-experimental/)

[Amazon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amazon/)

[Browse all 162 Experimental quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experimental/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Youth is wholly experimental.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Louis Stevenson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/youth-is-wholly-experimental/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Experimental"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/youth-is-wholly-experimental/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/295/robert-louis-stevenson-289_research_youth-is-wholly-experimental-1795672_1795672.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/295/robert-louis-stevenson-289_research_youth-is-wholly-experimental-1795672_1795672.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/295/robert-louis-stevenson-289_research_youth-is-wholly-experimental-1795672_1795672.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Youth is wholly experimental.” — Robert Louis Stevenson",
                "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": "Robert Louis Stevenson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Youth is wholly experimental.",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/youth-is-wholly-experimental/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/youth-is-wholly-experimental/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
