--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is never wise to discourage youthful…" description: "\"It is never wise to discourage youthful idealism.\" — Stephen Kinzer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/stephen-kinzer-2514_discourage_it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful_1427281.jpg" --- # It is never wise to discourage youthful idealism. ![“It is never wise to discourage youthful idealism.” quote by Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/stephen-kinzer-2514_discourage_it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful_1427281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/stephen-kinzer-2514_discourage_it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful_1427281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/stephen-kinzer-2514_discourage_it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful_1427281.jpg) > “It is never wise to discourage youthful idealism.” [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discouraging youthful idealism is unwise; it should be nurtured. **In simple terms:** Support youthful idealism. Key Takeaway Encourage and protect youthful optimism. Themes education optimism youth Mood hopeful protective Type motivational ethical When to use this quote - schools - community programs - mentorship Key Concepts psychological development social empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How to balance idealism with realism? - What safeguards protect idealists? A Different Perspective Idealism can be naive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discourage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourage/) [Discourage Youthful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourage-youthful-5071184/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise Discourage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-discourage-5071185/) [Youthful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youthful/) [Youthful Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youthful-idealism-1779210/) ## Related quotes > [“So much for youthful idealism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/so-much-for-youthful-idealism/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Quiet heroism or youthful idealism, or both? What do we know? That life without heroism and idealism is not worth living - or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-segal/quiet-heroism-or-youthful-idealism-or-both-what-do-we-know-that-life/) [Erich Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-segal/) > [“Koch's youthful idealism about libertarianism had largely devolved into a rationale for corporate self-interest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-chasteen/koch-s-youthful-idealism-about-libertarianism-had-largely-devolved/) [John Charles Chasteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-chasteen/) > [If President Obama has his way, you won't recognize the government, the free market system, or, frankly, America as you once knew it. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ehrlich/if-president-obama-has-his-way-you-won-t-recognize-the-government-the/) [Bob Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ehrlich/) > [Disappointment is inevitable. But to become discouraged, there's a choice I make. God would never discourage me. He would always point me to himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/disappointment-is-inevitable-but-to-become-discouraged-there-s-a/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [In essence, Chrome OS is the GNU/Linux operating system. However, it is delivered without the usual applications, and rigged up to impede and discourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/in-essence-chrome-os-is-the-gnu-linux-operating-system-however-it-is/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Successful people will always tell you you can do something. It's the people who have never accomplished anything who will always discourage you from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/successful-people-will-always-tell-you-you-can-do-something-it-s-the/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [Luke, I don't want to discourage your curiosity, but I have to remind you, if something goes wrong, this is an exceptionally embarassing way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-allston/luke-i-don-t-want-to-discourage-your-curiosity-but-i-have-to-remind/) [Aaron Allston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-allston/) > [The Devil Likes To Discourage The Younger Generation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/the-devil-likes-to-discourage-the-younger-generation/) [Frenchqueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenchqueen/) > [“No one can discourage me. period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-vinod-kumar/no-one-can-discourage-me-period/) [B. vinod kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-vinod-kumar/) > [“trying his best to discourage them,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-foreman/trying-his-best-to-discourage-them/) [Amanda Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-foreman/) > [Fact is, awards shows were never really about recognizing achievement. They were a publicity ploy cooked up in the late 1920s by MGM topper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/fact-is-awards-shows-were-never-really-about-recognizing-achievement/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [People too weak to follow their own dreams will always find a way to discourage yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-too-weak-to-follow-their-own-dreams-will-always-find-a-way-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've had fish come up on stage, and it's pretty disgusting. I try and discourage that. I discourage anything flying up on stage, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-claypool/i-ve-had-fish-come-up-on-stage-and-it-s-pretty-disgusting-i-try-and/) [Les Claypool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-claypool/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) ## More by Stephen Kinzer > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Land ownership in Guatemala is more unequal than anywhere else in Latin America. Roughly 90 percent of Guatemalan farms are too small to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/land-ownership-in-guatemala-is-more-unequal-than-anywhere-else-in/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Honduras is strongly anti-Communist, maintains no diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, and has provided vital support for United States-backed rebels fighting to overthrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/honduras-is-strongly-anti-communist-maintains-no-diplomatic-relations/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. Several don't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/any-country-that-grants-asylum-to-snowden-risks-retaliation-from-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Mayors of New York are almost automatically national figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/mayors-of-new-york-are-almost-automatically-national-figures/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Human Rights Watch wants Rwandans to be able to speak freely about their ethnic hatreds, and to allow political parties connected with the defeated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/human-rights-watch-wants-rwandans-to-be-able-to-speak-freely-about/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“Acheson immediately understood the urgency of this message. He summoned Ambassador Franks and told him that the United States resolutely opposed “the use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/acheson-immediately-understood-the-urgency-of-this-message-he/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [During the 1980s, international interest in the Nicaraguan war was intense. No conflict since the Spanish civil war had provoked such passion around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/during-the-1980s-international-interest-in-the-nicaraguan-war-was/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [As long as Iran believes that its security will be increased by having a nuclear program, it's going to pursue its program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/as-long-as-iran-believes-that-its-security-will-be-increased-by/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Countries that control water are likely to be the big winners of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/countries-that-control-water-are-likely-to-be-the-big-winners-of-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“It is a great tool of dictators and tyrants, who want to get masses of people to do what they want, to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-a-great-tool-of-dictators-and-tyrants-who-want-to-get-masses-of/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [No offense to Iceland, but Latin America is where the fugitive leaker Edward Snowden should settle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/no-offense-to-iceland-but-latin-america-is-where-the-fugitive-leaker/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Castro has lived almost his entire life as a clandestine revolutionary. To such figures, truth is always malleable, always subservient to political goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/castro-has-lived-almost-his-entire-life-as-a-clandestine/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Latin America moved decisively away from military rule and toward civilian democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/during-the-late-1970s-and-early-1980s-latin-america-moved-decisively/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) [Explore all 163 Stephen Kinzer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) ## More Discourage quotes > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [I've had fish come up on stage, and it's pretty disgusting. I try and discourage that. I discourage anything flying up on stage, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-claypool/i-ve-had-fish-come-up-on-stage-and-it-s-pretty-disgusting-i-try-and/) [Les Claypool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-claypool/) > [People too weak to follow their own dreams will always find a way to discourage yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-too-weak-to-follow-their-own-dreams-will-always-find-a-way-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fact is, awards shows were never really about recognizing achievement. They were a publicity ploy cooked up in the late 1920s by MGM topper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/fact-is-awards-shows-were-never-really-about-recognizing-achievement/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [“trying his best to discourage them,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-foreman/trying-his-best-to-discourage-them/) [Amanda Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-foreman/) > [“No one can discourage me. period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-vinod-kumar/no-one-can-discourage-me-period/) [B. vinod kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-vinod-kumar/) > [The Devil Likes To Discourage The Younger Generation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/the-devil-likes-to-discourage-the-younger-generation/) [Frenchqueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenchqueen/) > [Luke, I don't want to discourage your curiosity, but I have to remind you, if something goes wrong, this is an exceptionally embarassing way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-allston/luke-i-don-t-want-to-discourage-your-curiosity-but-i-have-to-remind/) [Aaron Allston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-allston/) > [Successful people will always tell you you can do something. It's the people who have never accomplished anything who will always discourage you from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/successful-people-will-always-tell-you-you-can-do-something-it-s-the/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [In essence, Chrome OS is the GNU/Linux operating system. However, it is delivered without the usual applications, and rigged up to impede and discourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/in-essence-chrome-os-is-the-gnu-linux-operating-system-however-it-is/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Disappointment is inevitable. But to become discouraged, there's a choice I make. God would never discourage me. He would always point me to himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/disappointment-is-inevitable-but-to-become-discouraged-there-s-a/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [If President Obama has his way, you won't recognize the government, the free market system, or, frankly, America as you once knew it. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-ehrlich/if-president-obama-has-his-way-you-won-t-recognize-the-government-the/) [Bob Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-ehrlich/) > [Some pretences daunt and discourage us, while others raise us to a brisk assurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-glanvill/some-pretences-daunt-and-discourage-us-while-others-raise-us-to-a/) [Joseph Glanvill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-glanvill/) > [“Level, is spelled the same forward and backwards. Those on the upper level can always hit the bottom, and those on the bottom can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/level-is-spelled-the-same-forward-and-backwards-those-on-the-upper/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“when someone is going out of their way to make you miserable, recognize that it’s the enemy using that person to discourage you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-stimpson/when-someone-is-going-out-of-their-way-to-make-you-miserable/) [Michelle Stimpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-stimpson/) [Browse all 120 Discourage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is never wise to discourage youthful idealism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Kinzer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful-idealism/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discourage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful-idealism/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/stephen-kinzer-2514_discourage_it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful_1427281.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/stephen-kinzer-2514_discourage_it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful_1427281.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75a/stephen-kinzer-2514_discourage_it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful_1427281.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is never wise to discourage youthful idealism.” — Stephen Kinzer", "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": "Stephen Kinzer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is never wise to discourage...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful-idealism/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-never-wise-to-discourage-youthful-idealism/#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 } } ] } ```