--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These young men, in other words…" description: "\"“These young men, in other words, represented a variety of types, but one thing they had in common was that they'd all given up on committing positivel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/ryu-murakami-8219_blame_these-young-men-in-other-words-represent_1433633.png" --- # These young men, in other words, represented a variety of… ![“These young men, in other words, represented a variety of types, but one thing they had in common was that they'd all given up on committing positively to anything in life. This was not their fault, however. The blame lay with a certain ubiquitous spirit of the times, transmitted to them by their…” quote by Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/ryu-murakami-8219_blame_these-young-men-in-other-words-represent_1433633.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/ryu-murakami-8219_blame_these-young-men-in-other-words-represent_1433633.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a73/ryu-murakami-8219_blame_these-young-men-in-other-words-represent_1433633.png) > ““These young men, in other words, represented a variety of types, but one thing they had in common was that they'd all given up on committing positively to anything in life. This was not their fault, however. The blame lay with a certain ubiquitous spirit of the times, transmitted to them by their respective mothers. And perhaps it goes without saying that this "spirit of the times" was in fact an oppressive value system based primarily upon the absolute certainty that nothing in this world was ever going to change.”” [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A generation feels paralyzed by a pervasive cultural fatalism, blaming societal pressures rather than personal agency for their lack of commitment. **In simple terms:** Cultural fatalism hinders personal drive. Key Takeaway Challenge limiting narratives and seek personal purpose. Themes generational angst social pressure fatalism agency identity Mood reflective somber critical Type philosophical social commentary motivational When to use this quote - career planning - mental health counseling - community mentorship - activist movements Key Concepts existential inertia social conditioning psychological oppression Questions to Reflect On - What narratives shape your sense of agency? - How can individuals resist oppressive societal expectations? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑rooted cultural beliefs is difficult and slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Oppressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressive/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Value system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-system/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [...is the spirit of the people an infallible, a permanent reliance? ...the spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/is-the-spirit-of-the-people-an-infallible-a-permanent-reliance-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“He who weds the spirit of the times quickly becomes a widower.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/he-who-weds-the-spirit-of-the-times-quickly-becomes-a-widower/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [The spirit of the times can haunt even the atheists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/the-spirit-of-the-times-can-haunt-even-the-atheists/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [What people call the spirit of the times is mostly their own spirit in which the times mirror themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/what-people-call-the-spirit-of-the-times-is-mostly-their-own-spirit/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“These times of waiting on God for the fullness of the Spirit are times when He searches the heart and tests the mind (Jer. 17:10).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smith-wigglesworth/these-times-of-waiting-on-god-for-the-fullness-of-the-spirit-are/) [Smith Wigglesworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smith-wigglesworth/) > [“Numerous are the academic chairs, but rare are wise and noble teachers. Numerous and large are the lecture halls, but far from numerous the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/numerous-are-the-academic-chairs-but-rare-are-wise-and-noble-teachers/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [An Actor is an interpreter of other men's words, often a soul which wishes to reveal itself to the world but dare not, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-guinness/an-actor-is-an-interpreter-of-other-men-s-words-often-a-soul-which/) [Alec Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-guinness/) > [Great men words is the laverage of a wise men and equanimity is the outcome of a men with a wise words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james/great-men-words-is-the-laverage-of-a-wise-men-and-equanimity-is-the/) [James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james/) > [“Three words have often been used as the trumpet-call of men - the words God, Immortality, Duty - pronounced with terrible earnestness. How inconceivable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/three-words-have-often-been-used-as-the-trumpet-call-of-men-the-words/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Some men's words I remember so well that I must often use them to express my thought. Yes, because I perceive that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/some-men-s-words-i-remember-so-well-that-i-must-often-use-them-to/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Elodin pointed down the street. "What color is that boy's shirt?" "Blue." "What do you mean by blue? Describe it." I struggled for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/elodin-pointed-down-the-street-what-color-is-that-boy-s-shirt-blue/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Men of few words are the best men." (3.2.41)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/men-of-few-words-are-the-best-men-3-2-41/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Don't you know yet that men are full of words that mean nothing? The silence of a woman is a thousand times weightier. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/don-t-you-know-yet-that-men-are-full-of-words-that-mean-nothing-the/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [The world is grown so full of dissimulation and compliment, that men's words are hardly any signification of their thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-steele/the-world-is-grown-so-full-of-dissimulation-and-compliment-that-men-s/) [Richard Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-steele/) > [“There are only two four letter words that are offense to men. The words don’t and stop . Well, unless they are used together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-zolendz/there-are-only-two-four-letter-words-that-are-offense-to-men-the/) [Christine Zolendz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-zolendz/) ## More by Ryū Murakami > [“People who love horror films are people with boring lives... when a really scary movie is over, you're reassured to see that you're still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/people-who-love-horror-films-are-people-with-boring-lives-when-a/) [Ryu Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“Even when you're talking to them face to face you have this feeling of not connecting, as if the words just pass through them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/even-when-you-re-talking-to-them-face-to-face-you-have-this-feeling/) [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“Of course, I'm not sure there is such a thing as a real self. 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The great earthquake and tsunami have robbed us of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/but-for-all-we-ve-lost-hope-is-in-fact-one-thing-we-japanese-have/) [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“Yeah, he'd said, maybe it's just my idea, but really it always hurts, the times it don't hurt is when we just forget, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/yeah-he-d-said-maybe-it-s-just-my-idea-but-really-it-always-hurts-the/) [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“A person without self-confidence is incapable of being independent, and people who are dependent on their partners always create unhappiness. Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/a-person-without-self-confidence-is-incapable-of-being-independent/) [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“We sat side by side on the swings. The creaking sound they made seemed sexier to me than a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/we-sat-side-by-side-on-the-swings-the-creaking-sound-they-made-seemed/) [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“Who hasn't wanted to die at one time or another?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/who-hasn-t-wanted-to-die-at-one-time-or-another/) [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) > [“Yeah. He wants to be a…what do you call those guys?” “A sommelier?” “Right. Said he wanted to see your collection.” “At fifteen he’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryu-murakami/yeah-he-wants-to-be-a-what-do-you-call-those-guys-a-sommelier-right/) [Ryū Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) [Explore all 82 Ryū Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryu-murakami/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. 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Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. 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