--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem as you get older... is that…" description: "\"The problem as you get older... is that you become more self-aware. At the same time, you have to surprise yourself. There's no way of arranging the su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/seamus-heaney-1711_arranging_the-problem-as-you-get-older-is-that-you_1626235.png" --- # The problem as you get older... is that you become more… ![“The problem as you get older... is that you become more self-aware. At the same time, you have to surprise yourself. There's no way of arranging the surprise, so it is tricky.” quote by Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/seamus-heaney-1711_arranging_the-problem-as-you-get-older-is-that-you_1626235.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/seamus-heaney-1711_arranging_the-problem-as-you-get-older-is-that-you_1626235.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5e/seamus-heaney-1711_arranging_the-problem-as-you-get-older-is-that-you_1626235.png) > “The problem as you get older... is that you become more self-aware. At the same time, you have to surprise yourself. There's no way of arranging the surprise, so it is tricky.” [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. As we age we gain self‑knowledge, yet must still find unexpected experiences to stay vibrant. **In simple terms:** Aging brings self‑awareness; surprise keeps life fresh. Key Takeaway Seek new, unplanned experiences. Themes aging self‑awareness surprise growth Mood reflective curious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career transitions - personal hobbies - travel - learning new skills Key Concepts psychology existentialism creativity Questions to Reflect On - How can you invite spontaneity without planning? - What small unknowns can you explore today? A Different Perspective Surprise cannot be forced; it may feel forced if pursued deliberately. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arranging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arranging/) [Arranging Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arranging-surprise-339309/) [Become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/become/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older/) [Older Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-self-339306/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-older-339308/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Aware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-aware-339307/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricky/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yourself/) ## Related quotes > [The problem is I'm older now, I'm 40 years old, and this stuff doesn't change the world. It really doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-problem-is-i-m-older-now-i-m-40-years-old-and-this-stuff-doesn-t/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [And so, a prediction, and my heartfelt wish for you: as you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/and-so-a-prediction-and-my-heartfelt-wish-for-you-as-you-get-older/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [My heartfelt wish for you: as you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/my-heartfelt-wish-for-you-as-you-get-older-your-self-will-diminish/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What I'm now discovering - and I'm now in another decade - is that the older I get the more I have my self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/what-i-m-now-discovering-and-i-m-now-in-another-decade-is-that-the/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [“She imagined herself at age nine, running through these very halls, crying out to her older self across the years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/she-imagined-herself-at-age-nine-running-through-these-very-halls/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [Coffee is a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to your older self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/coffee-is-a-way-of-stealing-time-that-should-by-rights-belong-to-your/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [When I play myself, I want to be a slightly better person. It just agrees. Everything I play about myself is kind of true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/when-i-play-myself-i-want-to-be-a-slightly-better-person-it-just/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [I don't regret the decisions or direction I've chosen, but I feel it's important to be self aware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bannon/i-don-t-regret-the-decisions-or-direction-i-ve-chosen-but-i-feel-it-s/) [Jacob Bannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bannon/) > [The thing about seeing the big picture and being self-aware is knowing that it's not about you. It's about the big picture. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-iovine/the-thing-about-seeing-the-big-picture-and-being-self-aware-is/) [Jimmy Iovine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-iovine/) > [I think one of my biggest attributes as a person and a businessman in wrestling is I'm very self-aware. There's a reason why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-rhodes/i-think-one-of-my-biggest-attributes-as-a-person-and-a-businessman-in/) [Cody Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-rhodes/) > [I wish I had been more self-aware earlier, but I think that just comes with age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hartley/i-wish-i-had-been-more-self-aware-earlier-but-i-think-that-just-comes/) [Justin Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hartley/) > [“There is no software for becoming self-aware.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-strom/there-is-no-software-for-becoming-self-aware/) [Max Strom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-strom/) > [I am an extremely lucky and blessed person, but I'm pretty self-aware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-am-an-extremely-lucky-and-blessed-person-but-i-m-pretty-self-aware/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [I don't want to be in my 'interview zone' mode. I've been doing a lot of interviews and I'm very self-aware of how I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-m-anderson/i-don-t-want-to-be-in-my-interview-zone-mode-i-ve-been-doing-a-lot-of/) [Erika M. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-m-anderson/) > [“The notion that animals are not self-aware is based on nothing more than a stipulation that the only way to be self-aware is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/the-notion-that-animals-are-not-self-aware-is-based-on-nothing-more/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) ## More by Seamus Heaney > [You had to come back to learn how to lose yourself, to be pilot and stray-witch, Hansel and Gretel in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/you-had-to-come-back-to-learn-how-to-lose-yourself-to-be-pilot-and/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [If self is a location, so is love: Bearings taken, markings, cardinal points, Options, obstinacies, dug heels, and distance, Here and there and now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/if-self-is-a-location-so-is-love-bearings-taken-markings-cardinal/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [I'm very conscious that people dear to me are alive in my imagination - poets in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/i-m-very-conscious-that-people-dear-to-me-are-alive-in-my-imagination/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Once I was on the job, once I had got started, I felt safe enough, but the anticipation made me tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/once-i-was-on-the-job-once-i-had-got-started-i-felt-safe-enough-but/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [You can have Irish identity in the north and also have your Irish passport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/you-can-have-irish-identity-in-the-north-and-also-have-your-irish/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [The external reality and inner dynamic of happenings in Northern Ireland between 1968 and 1974 were symptomatic of change, violent change admittedly, but change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/the-external-reality-and-inner-dynamic-of-happenings-in-northern/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Hope for a great sea-change timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/hope-for-a-great-sea-change-timid-to-rebuke-and-too-petty-to-forgive/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [One of the very first poems I wrote was Docker That fist would drop a hammer on a Catholic and one of the sturdiest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/one-of-the-very-first-poems-i-wrote-was-docker-that-fist-would-drop-a/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Anything Can Happen is also, incidentally, a poem that arose from teaching. I'd talked about the Horace Ode (I, 34) \[on which the poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/anything-can-happen-is-also-incidentally-a-poem-that-arose-from/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Poetry is always slightly mysterious, and you wonder what is your relationship to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/poetry-is-always-slightly-mysterious-and-you-wonder-what-is-your/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Sink every impulse like a bolt. Secure The bastion of sensation. Do not waver Into language. Do not waver in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/sink-every-impulse-like-a-bolt-secure-the-bastion-of-sensation-do-not/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Two buckets were easier carried than one. / I grew up in between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/two-buckets-were-easier-carried-than-one-i-grew-up-in-between/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [I suppose I'm saying that defiance is actually part of the lyric job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/i-suppose-i-m-saying-that-defiance-is-actually-part-of-the-lyric-job/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [“It is said that once upon a time St. Kevin was kneeling with his arms stretched out in the form of a cross in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/it-is-said-that-once-upon-a-time-st-kevin-was-kneeling-with-his-arms/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [My father and mother had no sense of entitlement for their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/my-father-and-mother-had-no-sense-of-entitlement-for-their-children/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) [Explore all 214 Seamus Heaney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) ## More Arranging quotes > [Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/figures-often-beguile-me-particularly-when-i-have-the-arranging-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [My central claim is that we become like Christ by doing one thing-by following Him in the overall style of life He chose for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/my-central-claim-is-that-we-become-like-christ-by-doing-one-thing-by/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [I love arranging my music, not in alphabetical order but by mood, creating playlists for when I have energy and want to work out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-bedingfield/i-love-arranging-my-music-not-in-alphabetical-order-but-by-mood/) [Natasha Bedingfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-bedingfield/) > [The most important preliminary to the task of arranging one's life so that one may live fully and comfortably within one's daily budget of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-most-important-preliminary-to-the-task-of-arranging-one-s-life-so/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary-it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/all-the-words-i-use-in-my-stories-can-be-found-in-the-dictionary-it-s/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I don't want any production credit. I think producers are overrated. They're for people who, first of all, don't know anything about music or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/i-don-t-want-any-production-credit-i-think-producers-are-overrated/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/technology-is-the-knack-of-so-arranging-the-world-that-we-don-t-have/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [Beautiful and minimalist, the traditional Japanese art of ikebana - arranging bouquets of cut flowers and leaves using very few elements - ideally corresponded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-ellena/beautiful-and-minimalist-the-traditional-japanese-art-of-ikebana/) [Jean-Claude Ellena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-ellena/) > [There is the first satisfaction of arranging it on a bit of paper; after many, many false tries, false moves, finally you have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/there-is-the-first-satisfaction-of-arranging-it-on-a-bit-of-paper/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [My mother was a wonderful, wonderful woman with a lovely voice who hated housework, hated cooking even more and loved her children. She was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-forrester/my-mother-was-a-wonderful-wonderful-woman-with-a-lovely-voice-who/) [Maureen Forrester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-forrester/) > [I just play music by listening and responding, so I don't know anything about writing songs or arranging and all of this stuff. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaimoe/i-just-play-music-by-listening-and-responding-so-i-don-t-know/) [Jaimoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaimoe/) > [The real accomplishment of modern science and technology consists in taking ordinary men, informing them narrowly and deeply and then, through appropriate organization, arranging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/the-real-accomplishment-of-modern-science-and-technology-consists-in/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/management-is-about-arranging-and-telling-leadership-is-about/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [The analysis of variance is not a mathematical theorem, but rather a convenient method of arranging the arithmetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-fisher/the-analysis-of-variance-is-not-a-mathematical-theorem-but-rather-a/) [Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-fisher/) > [I became friends on a social basis with a music professor (Dr. Alan Stein) who took a real interest in my work. He encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keltonic/i-became-friends-on-a-social-basis-with-a-music-professor-dr-alan/) [John Keltonic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keltonic/) [Browse all 122 Arranging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arranging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem as you get older... is that you become more self-aware. At the same time, you have to surprise yourself. 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