--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am afraid of getting older. I am afraid…" description: "\"“I am afraid of getting older. I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a day, spare me from the relentless cage of routine an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/sylvia-plath-149_fear_i-am-afraid-of-getting-older-i-am-afraid_1589789.jpg" --- # I am afraid of getting older. I am afraid of getting… ![“I am afraid of getting older. I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a day, spare me from the relentless cage of routine and rote. I want to be free. I want, I think, to be omniscient.” quote by Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/sylvia-plath-149_fear_i-am-afraid-of-getting-older-i-am-afraid_1589789.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/sylvia-plath-149_fear_i-am-afraid-of-getting-older-i-am-afraid_1589789.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/sylvia-plath-149_fear_i-am-afraid-of-getting-older-i-am-afraid_1589789.jpg) > ““I am afraid of getting older. I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a day, spare me from the relentless cage of routine and rote. I want to be free. I want, I think, to be omniscient.”” [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fear of aging, marriage, and routine drives a yearning for freedom and ultimate knowledge. **In simple terms:** Fear of growing old and trapped fuels a desire for freedom and all‑knowing power. Key Takeaway Seek freedom while embracing life's stages. Themes fear freedom identity existence Mood anxious hopeful Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - relationship choices - creative projects - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism self‑actualization mortality Questions to Reflect On - What does freedom mean to you? - How can you balance safety with growth? A Different Perspective Freedom may clash with responsibilities and societal expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Afraid Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-getting/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Getting married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-married/) [Getting older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-older/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Older Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older-afraid-804968/) [Think Omniscient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-omniscient-3910039/) ## Related quotes > [I am afraid of getting older … I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a day—spare me from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-am-afraid-of-getting-older-i-am-afraid-of-getting-married-spare-me-2/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“I am afraid of getting older...I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a day — spare me from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-am-afraid-of-getting-older-i-am-afraid-of-getting-married-spare-me/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“I am afraid of getting older. I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a day—spare me from the relentless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-am-afraid-of-getting-older-i-am-afraid-of-getting-married-spare-me-4/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I want, I think, to be omniscient. I think I would like to call myself "the girl who wanted to be God." Yet if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-want-i-think-to-be-omniscient-i-think-i-would-like-to-call-myself/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I am afraid of getting married. Spare me from cooking three meals a dayspare me from the relentless cage of routine and rote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-am-afraid-of-getting-married-spare-me-from-cooking-three-meals-a/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Some of these little girls are afraid to admit they are getting older. I am not afraid. You can't put your finger in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-jurado/some-of-these-little-girls-are-afraid-to-admit-they-are-getting-older/) [Katy Jurado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-jurado/) > [Happy people look young. You’re really afraid of getting older, aren’t you? You should only be afraid of getting less happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-smith/happy-people-look-young-you-re-really-afraid-of-getting-older-aren-t/) [Deborah Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-smith/) > [You know, many actors when they get older are afraid to be around young people, but I welcome their views.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-moorehead/you-know-many-actors-when-they-get-older-are-afraid-to-be-around/) [Agnes Moorehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-moorehead/) > [I think my songwriting has developed over the years. As I get older, I have become less afraid to share real experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rayvon-owen/i-think-my-songwriting-has-developed-over-the-years-as-i-get-older-i/) [Rayvon Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rayvon-owen/) > [The older we get the less afraid we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/the-older-we-get-the-less-afraid-we-are/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [As you get older, you're not afraid of doubt. Doubt isn't running the show. You take out all the self-agonizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/as-you-get-older-you-re-not-afraid-of-doubt-doubt-isn-t-running-the/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [A lot of it is maturity and getting older. You know, sort of getting married and realizing you're not out there for yourself anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-fish/a-lot-of-it-is-maturity-and-getting-older-you-know-sort-of-getting/) [Mardy Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-fish/) > [I moved around so much when I was younger that I sort of had to have this type of exterior; you know, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cavallari/i-moved-around-so-much-when-i-was-younger-that-i-sort-of-had-to-have/) [Kristin Cavallari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cavallari/) > [I'm not afraid to love. I'm just afraid of not being loved back. And I'm not afraid to try again. I'm just afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-afraid-to-love-i-m-just-afraid-of-not-being-loved-back-and-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I resolve to venture into the city on my own. I look at maps in the library—subway maps, bus maps, and regular maps—and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-feldman/i-resolve-to-venture-into-the-city-on-my-own-i-look-at-maps-in-the/) [Deborah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-feldman/) ## More by Sylvia Plath > [“It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/it-was-a-queer-sultry-summer-the-summer-they-electrocuted-the/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I love life. But it is hard and I have so much, so very much to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-love-life-but-it-is-hard-and-i-have-so-much-so-very-much-to-learn/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [... These are my hands My knees. I may be skin and bone, Nevertheless, I am the same, identical woman. ... --Lady Lazarus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/these-are-my-hands-my-knees-i-may-be-skin-and-bone-nevertheless-i-am/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Sure, I’m dramatic and sloppily semi-cynical and semi-sentimental. But, in leisure years I could grow and choose my way. Now I am living on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/sure-i-m-dramatic-and-sloppily-semi-cynical-and-semi-sentimental-but/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“People were made of nothing so much as dust, and I couldn't see that doctoring all that dust was a bit better than writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/people-were-made-of-nothing-so-much-as-dust-and-i-couldn-t-see-that/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“I couldn't stand the idea of a woman having to have a single pure life and a man being able to have a double…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-couldn-t-stand-the-idea-of-a-woman-having-to-have-a-single-pure/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-saw-the-gooseflesh-on-my-skin-i-did-not-know-what-made-it-i-was-not/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I have to live my life, and it is the only one I’ll ever have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-have-to-live-my-life-and-it-is-the-only-one-i-ll-ever-have/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“The city had faded my tan, though. I looked yellow as a Chinaman. Ordinarily, I would have been nervous about my dress and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/the-city-had-faded-my-tan-though-i-looked-yellow-as-a-chinaman/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Joy:show joy & enjoy: then others will be joyful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/joy-show-joy-enjoy-then-others-will-be-joyful/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [A million years of evolution, Eric said bitterly, and what are we? Animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/a-million-years-of-evolution-eric-said-bitterly-and-what-are-we/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“I have stitched life into me like a rare organ --from "Three Women: A Poem for Three Voices", written 1962”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-have-stitched-life-into-me-like-a-rare-organ-from-three-women-a/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [It is so much safer not to feel, not to let the world touch me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/it-is-so-much-safer-not-to-feel-not-to-let-the-world-touch-me/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“Flute Notes from a Reedy Pond" Now coldness comes sifting down, layer after layer, To our bower at the lily root. Overhead the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/flute-notes-from-a-reedy-pond-now-coldness-comes-sifting-down-layer/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“The most saddening thing is to admit that I am not in love. I can only love (if that means self denial - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/the-most-saddening-thing-is-to-admit-that-i-am-not-in-love-i-can-only/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) [Explore all 1,098 Sylvia Plath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) [Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/) > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) [Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am afraid of getting older. 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