--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes when you get older—and I'm not…" description: "\"“Sometimes when you get older—and I'm not talking about you, I'm talking generally, because everyone ages differently—things you think on and wish on s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/sara-gruen-3385_aging_sometimes-when-you-get-older-and-i-m-not_419413.png" --- # Sometimes when you get older—and I'm not talking about… ![“Sometimes when you get older—and I'm not talking about you, I'm talking generally, because everyone ages differently—things you think on and wish on start to seem real. And then you believe them, and before you know it they're a part of your history, and if someone challenges you on them and says…” quote by Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/sara-gruen-3385_aging_sometimes-when-you-get-older-and-i-m-not_419413.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/sara-gruen-3385_aging_sometimes-when-you-get-older-and-i-m-not_419413.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd2/sara-gruen-3385_aging_sometimes-when-you-get-older-and-i-m-not_419413.png) > ““Sometimes when you get older—and I'm not talking about you, I'm talking generally, because everyone ages differently—things you think on and wish on start to seem real. And then you believe them, and before you know it they're a part of your history, and if someone challenges you on them and says they're not true—why, then you get offended.”” [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Aging changes perception; wishes become memories, and defending them feels personal when challenged. **In simple terms:** Ages alter how we see wishes and history. Key Takeaway Recognize and question personal narratives. Themes aging memory identity defensiveness Mood reflective nostalgic Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - personal reflection - therapy sessions - family discussions - historical debates Key Concepts subjectivity nostalgia cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do your wishes shape your self‑story? - When should you let go of cherished but false beliefs? A Different Perspective Memories can be unreliable; personal bias may distort truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Challenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes when you get older — and I’m not talking about you, I’m talking generally, because everyone ages differently — things you think on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/sometimes-when-you-get-older-and-i-m-not-talking-about-you-i-m-2/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [“90/93-year-old Jacob wonders as he gazes at his aged reflection, 'When did I stop being me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/90-93-year-old-jacob-wonders-as-he-gazes-at-his-aged-reflection-when/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [“I never think of stories as made things; I think of them as found things. 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Are you going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/at-some-point-you-have-to-decide-not-merely-what-you-re-going-to/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [I find beauty almost everywhere. Now more and more I find almost everything beautiful. That is why I have great difficulty in throwing away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/i-find-beauty-almost-everywhere-now-more-and-more-i-find-almost/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > [“Oh, Helen, I don't want to.' 'Then don't,' said Helen. 'Ah, but I do want to, too.' 'Then do,' said she. 'But don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-nesbit/oh-helen-i-don-t-want-to-then-don-t-said-helen-ah-but-i-do-want-to/) [E. 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Sometimes you think something's gonna be a huge success, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-summer/i-don-t-really-try-to-predict-what-can-and-will-happen-with-things/) [Donna Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-summer/) > [“Maybe the things we think we have to believe are the things that end up killing us in the end, when we figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-ellison/maybe-the-things-we-think-we-have-to-believe-are-the-things-that-end/) [Kate Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-ellison/) > [At the beginning of my TV and movie stuff, I would be really critical of myself, but I've gotten better and better. There's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-enos/at-the-beginning-of-my-tv-and-movie-stuff-i-would-be-really-critical/) [Mireille Enos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-enos/) > [“want to spoil things. I think she”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-hughes/want-to-spoil-things-i-think-she/) [Kathryn Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-hughes/) > [There are things that you think about in your life that you're proud of, some things that you're not proud of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-kelly/there-are-things-that-you-think-about-in-your-life-that-you-re-proud/) [Jim Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-kelly/) ## More by Sara Gruen > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [The sky the sky- same as it always was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/the-sky-the-sky-same-as-it-always-was/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Don't want to get tipsy and break a hip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/don-t-want-to-get-tipsy-and-break-a-hip/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [When two people are meant to be together, they will be together. It's fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/when-two-people-are-meant-to-be-together-they-will-be-together-it-s/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [“So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? 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As I close it, her long arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/i-open-the-orangutan-s-door-and-set-a-pan-of-fruits-vegetables-and/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Being the survivor stinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/being-the-survivor-stinks/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [“He whispers in her ear, and she basks in his attention, trumpeting happily at the sight of him. Doesn't she remember?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/he-whispers-in-her-ear-and-she-basks-in-his-attention-trumpeting/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [... a gaggle of old ladies is glued to the window at the end of the hall like children or jailbirds. They're spidery and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/a-gaggle-of-old-ladies-is-glued-to-the-window-at-the-end-of-the-hall/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [“age is a terrible theif”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/age-is-a-terrible-theif/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) [Explore all 127 Sara Gruen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) ## 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. 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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": "“Sometimes when you get older—and I'm not talking about you, I'm talking generally, because everyone ages differently—things you think on and wish on start to seem real. 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