--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Growing older has helped me become…" description: "\"Growing older has helped me become empathetic to other people and their reasons for making choices. I used to think there was a definitive right and wr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/sara-pascoe-3853_choices_growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empat_877557.jpg" --- # Growing older has helped me become empathetic to other… ![“Growing older has helped me become empathetic to other people and their reasons for making choices. I used to think there was a definitive right and wrong and that only I knew what they were and so I should be dictator of the world.” quote by Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/sara-pascoe-3853_choices_growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empat_877557.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/sara-pascoe-3853_choices_growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empat_877557.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/sara-pascoe-3853_choices_growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empat_877557.jpg) > “Growing older has helped me become empathetic to other people and their reasons for making choices. I used to think there was a definitive right and wrong and that only I knew what they were and so I should be dictator of the world.” [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. With age comes empathy, shifting from rigid judgments to understanding others' motives and choices. **In simple terms:** Older age brings empathy and less judgment. Key Takeaway Practice listening before judging. Themes empathy growth humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace conflicts - parenting - community leadership Key Concepts psychology moral development Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate empathy in daily interactions? - What judgments limit your understanding of others? A Different Perspective Empathy may be challenged by entrenched biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Growing old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-old/) [Growing older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-older/) [Making choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-choices/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [We've reached a point where we are not a very empathetic people, and art without empathy is art without an audience. My basic viewpoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamake-highwater/we-ve-reached-a-point-where-we-are-not-a-very-empathetic-people-and/) [Jamake Highwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamake-highwater/) > [It's weird, but I'm so empathetic; when I see people dying on hot sauce, I do feel for them. And I'm a Midwestern guy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-evans/it-s-weird-but-i-m-so-empathetic-when-i-see-people-dying-on-hot-sauce/) [Sean Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-evans/) > [“It is time to teach society on how to be empathetic with people grieving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-himmelrich/it-is-time-to-teach-society-on-how-to-be-empathetic-with-people/) Nathalie Himmelrich > [And after my mother's death I became more open to and empathetic about other people's struggles and losses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-o-rourke/and-after-my-mother-s-death-i-became-more-open-to-and-empathetic/) [Meghan O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-o-rourke/) > [“We all need to be more empathetic towards other people. It is not 'cool' to laugh at the shape of their body, color of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-all-need-to-be-more-empathetic-towards-other-people-it-is-not-cool/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [Empathetic people are superb at recognizing and meeting the needs of clients, customers, or subordinates. They seem approachable, wanting to hear what people have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/empathetic-people-are-superb-at-recognizing-and-meeting-the-needs-of/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Without television and mass communication, that knowledge wouldn't exist. So I think it actually has the possibility of turning people into more understanding and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warnock/without-television-and-mass-communication-that-knowledge-wouldn-t/) [John Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warnock/) > [“I am the master of my destiny, the leader of my actions, the dictator of my world for the power lives in me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ow/i-am-the-master-of-my-destiny-the-leader-of-my-actions-the-dictator/) Christina OW > [We've centralized all of our data to a guy called Mark Zuckerberg, who's basically the biggest dictator in the world as he wasn't elected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sunde/we-ve-centralized-all-of-our-data-to-a-guy-called-mark-zuckerberg-who/) [Peter Sunde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sunde/) > [Having a super-brain does not suddenly make you a dictator of the world. So we don't have to fear the scenarios of science fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/having-a-super-brain-does-not-suddenly-make-you-a-dictator-of-the/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [It's not a very nice thing to not have empathy. I would like to have empathy. In the past I haven't been very empathetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-matthews/it-s-not-a-very-nice-thing-to-not-have-empathy-i-would-like-to-have/) [Spencer Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-matthews/) > [To me, bringing mindfulness-bas ed practices to students, teachers and parents is some of the most important work we can be doing. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/to-me-bringing-mindfulness-bas-ed-practices-to-students-teachers-and/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [We're wired to be empathetic and to care about the needs of others, but also to be curious about others. And I think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/we-re-wired-to-be-empathetic-and-to-care-about-the-needs-of-others/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [To be empathetic to everyone around you, I think, is such a powerful thing to hold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/to-be-empathetic-to-everyone-around-you-i-think-is-such-a-powerful/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“The most prolific and accomplished hunters were not the most bloodthirsty and indefatigable. They were the most cool and empathetic. They were the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-dutton/the-most-prolific-and-accomplished-hunters-were-not-the-most/) [Kevin Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-dutton/) ## More by Sara Pascoe > [I wrote on my website that veganism isn't right for everyone and the first thing you have to consider is nutrition. I was saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/i-wrote-on-my-website-that-veganism-isn-t-right-for-everyone-and-the/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [There's nothing you can't tell to an audience, because they're all people who've had lives. The only thing they don't want to watch is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/there-s-nothing-you-can-t-tell-to-an-audience-because-they-re-all/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [I thought all comedy was stupid. I went to watch a friend do stand-up and I thought absolutely everyone was terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/i-thought-all-comedy-was-stupid-i-went-to-watch-a-friend-do-stand-up/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [Someone who didn't do comedy might think it was awful to have someone talking about you. But I just love the attention, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/someone-who-didn-t-do-comedy-might-think-it-was-awful-to-have-someone/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [“Suddenly, an idea swooshed into his marsupial brain like a small propeller plane buzzing a crowd. ‘Why didn’t I think of that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/suddenly-an-idea-swooshed-into-his-marsupial-brain-like-a-small/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [“What’s “ague?”‘ Raya asked. ‘Malaria.’ Oscar said. ‘Oh, great.’ ‘Hey, you want plague? They got that too.’ Raya ignored the cat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/what-s-ague-raya-asked-malaria-oscar-said-oh-great-hey-you-want/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [Extensive analysis was conducted before deciding whether consumers would respond better to a male or female imprisoned in their phone. Almost every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/extensive-analysis-was-conducted-before-deciding-whether-consumers/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [“The light inside houses was always so golden yellow. Oswald wondered if humans saved up sunshine and piped it through their lamps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/the-light-inside-houses-was-always-so-golden-yellow-oswald-wondered/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [I could barely function as an adult; I slept through alarm clocks and lost train tickets mid-journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/i-could-barely-function-as-an-adult-i-slept-through-alarm-clocks-and/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [It's unfair but true: youth is attractive, curvy women are attractive, outliers who look a bit different to everybody else are attractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/it-s-unfair-but-true-youth-is-attractive-curvy-women-are-attractive/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [When I was little, I wore shoes that were too small for me for years, so my feet grew weird, so my little toenails…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/when-i-was-little-i-wore-shoes-that-were-too-small-for-me-for-years/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [The Apollo seats 3,600 people: I could hear them making a huge noise for Milton Jones and Lee Mack. If the audience doesn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/the-apollo-seats-3-600-people-i-could-hear-them-making-a-huge-noise/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [Standup is a place where, as long as it's funny enough, you can say your most embarrassing things, shameful things and disappointing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/standup-is-a-place-where-as-long-as-it-s-funny-enough-you-can-say/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [Much of the discussion around how people look at women focuses on culture, as if the media is entirely to blame. As if, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/much-of-the-discussion-around-how-people-look-at-women-focuses-on/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [When I was a small child we were allowed to wait up until midnight on 31 December. Then as the TV chimed, Dad would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/when-i-was-a-small-child-we-were-allowed-to-wait-up-until-midnight-on/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) [Explore all 120 Sara Pascoe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Growing older has helped me become empathetic to other people and their reasons for making choices. I used to think there was a definitive right and wrong and that only I knew what they were and so I should be dictator of the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sara Pascoe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empathetic-to-other-people-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choices" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empathetic-to-other-people-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/sara-pascoe-3853_choices_growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empat_877557.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/sara-pascoe-3853_choices_growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empat_877557.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed1/sara-pascoe-3853_choices_growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empat_877557.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Growing older has helped me become empathetic to other people and their reasons for making choices. I used…” — Sara Pascoe", "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": "Sara Pascoe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Growing older has helped me become...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empathetic-to-other-people-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/growing-older-has-helped-me-become-empathetic-to-other-people-and/#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 } } ] } ```