--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the wires are all down and your…" description: "\"When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and only then, have you grown old.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/samuel-ullman-28978_covered_when-the-wires-are-all-down-and-your-hea_1565458.png" --- # When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with… ![“When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and only then, have you grown old.” quote by Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/samuel-ullman-28978_covered_when-the-wires-are-all-down-and-your-hea_1565458.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/samuel-ullman-28978_covered_when-the-wires-are-all-down-and-your-hea_1565458.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/samuel-ullman-28978_covered_when-the-wires-are-all-down-and-your-hea_1565458.png) > “When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and only then, have you grown old.” [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When despair and cynicism dominate, it signals emotional aging, not physical; **In simple terms:** Pessimism and cynicism mean you’re emotionally old. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge negative mindsets. Themes aging emotions resilience Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - career setbacks - relationship conflicts - health challenges Key Concepts cynicism optimism self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What thoughts keep you feeling old? - How can you cultivate optimism? A Different Perspective Negative outlook can become a self‑fulfilling prophecy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ice/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snow/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [“Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/youth-is-not-a-time-of-life-it-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-not-a-matter-3/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/when-the-aerials-are-down-and-your-spirit-is-covered-with-snows-of-2/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/when-the-aerials-are-down-and-your-spirit-is-covered-with-snows-of/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [“You are surprised that the world is losing its grip, that the world is grown old? Think of a man: he is born, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/you-are-surprised-that-the-world-is-losing-its-grip-that-the-world-is-2/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [I've grown up, but not grown old; I hope there's a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-rudd/i-ve-grown-up-but-not-grown-old-i-hope-there-s-a-difference/) [Phil Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-rudd/) > [Might not most men be as well named boys grown old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulke-greville-1st-baron-brooke/might-not-most-men-be-as-well-named-boys-grown-old/) [Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulke-greville-1st-baron-brooke/) > [You don't stop cheering because you've grown old - you grow old because you've stopped cheering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/consequences/you-don-t-stop-cheering-because-you-ve-grown-old-you-grow-old-because/) Consequences > [“When we lose our spiritual child then that is when we have grown old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/when-we-lose-our-spiritual-child-then-that-is-when-we-have-grown-old/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [But wanderlust is like a pretty girl - you wake up one morning, find she's grown old and decide that either you're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-leduff/but-wanderlust-is-like-a-pretty-girl-you-wake-up-one-morning-find-she/) [Charlie LeDuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-leduff/) > [On that first day when we look back, either happily or with remorse, to the stony ways over which we have traveled, losing concern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-reed/on-that-first-day-when-we-look-back-either-happily-or-with-remorse-to/) [Myrtle Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-reed/) > [Child who's grown old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/child-who-s-grown-old/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [“He could have loved her as a man loves a woman, protected her, provided for her, given her children, grown old with her and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-could-have-loved-her-as-a-man-loves-a-woman-protected-her-provided/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In childhood, death stirred me not; in middle age, it pursued me like a prowling bandit on the road; now, grown an old man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/in-childhood-death-stirred-me-not-in-middle-age-it-pursued-me-like-a/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [They that have grown old in a single state are generally found to be morose, fretful and captious; tenacious of their own practices and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/they-that-have-grown-old-in-a-single-state-are-generally-found-to-be/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [When our memories outweigh our dreams, we have grown old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/when-our-memories-outweigh-our-dreams-we-have-grown-old/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) ## More by Samuel Ullman > [If youth only knew, if age only could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/if-youth-only-knew-if-age-only-could/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite, for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/youth-means-a-temperamental-predominance-of-courage-over-timidity-of/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Youth is not a time of life - it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of red cheeks, red lips…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/youth-is-not-a-time-of-life-it-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-not-a-matter/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [You are as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fears; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/you-are-as-young-as-your-self-confidence-as-old-as-your-fears-as/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/nobody-grows-old-merely-by-living-a-number-of-years-we-grow-old-by/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/youth-is-not-a-time-of-life-it-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-not-a-matter-2/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what's next, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/whether-sixty-or-sixteen-there-is-in-every-human-being-s-heart-the/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [In the central place of every heart, there is a recording chamber; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/in-the-central-place-of-every-heart-there-is-a-recording-chamber-so/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/years-may-wrinkle-the-skin-but-to-give-up-enthusiasm-wrinkles-the/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Maturity is the ability to think, speak and act your feelings within the bounds of dignity. The measure of your maturity is how spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/maturity-is-the-ability-to-think-speak-and-act-your-feelings-within/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/when-the-aerials-are-down-and-your-spirit-is-covered-with-snows-of/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what's next, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/whether-60-or-16-there-is-in-every-human-being-s-heart-the-lure-of/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Youth is not a time of life - it is a state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/youth-is-not-a-time-of-life-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/when-the-aerials-are-down-and-your-spirit-is-covered-with-snows-of-2/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) > [Whether seventy or sixteen, there is in every being's heart a love of wonder; the sweet amazement at the stars and starlike things and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ullman/whether-seventy-or-sixteen-there-is-in-every-being-s-heart-a-love-of/) [Samuel Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) [Explore all 19 Samuel Ullman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ullman/) ## More Covered quotes > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. 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That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-sometimes-said-that-because-of-our-past-we-as-a-people-expect/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > ['Helping industry' is the elephant pit of socialism, a deep hole with sharp spikes at the bottom, covered over with twigs and fresh grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/helping-industry-is-the-elephant-pit-of-socialism-a-deep-hole-with/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [Most of the world is covered by water. A fisherman's job is simple: Pick out the best parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-w-waterman/most-of-the-world-is-covered-by-water-a-fisherman-s-job-is-simple/) Charles W. Waterman > [You will find a spring by the dwelling of the dead, to the left. Next to it stands a white cypress. 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