--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The elderly were formerly young before…" description: "\"“The elderly were formerly young before being utterly overtaken by years. It is only orderly that they arrive first at our common destination of ageing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/vincent-okay-nwachukwu-24122_ageing_the-elderly-were-formerly-young-before-b_351539.jpg" --- # The elderly were formerly young before being utterly… ![“The elderly were formerly young before being utterly overtaken by years. It is only orderly that they arrive first at our common destination of ageing. Tenderly treating the elderly is therefore entirely reciprocal.” quote by Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/vincent-okay-nwachukwu-24122_ageing_the-elderly-were-formerly-young-before-b_351539.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/vincent-okay-nwachukwu-24122_ageing_the-elderly-were-formerly-young-before-b_351539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/vincent-okay-nwachukwu-24122_ageing_the-elderly-were-formerly-young-before-b_351539.jpg) > ““The elderly were formerly young before being utterly overtaken by years. It is only orderly that they arrive first at our common destination of ageing. Tenderly treating the elderly is therefore entirely reciprocal.”” [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Aging is a natural progression; caring for elders honors the cycle of life. **In simple terms:** Treat elders with kindness; it’s mutual. Key Takeaway Show respect to the elderly. Themes aging reciprocity respect Mood thoughtful respectful Type ethical reflective When to use this quote - family caregiving - community programs - intergenerational activities Key Concepts ethics social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can we better support aging populations? - What lessons do elders teach us? A Different Perspective Societal neglect can undermine this reciprocity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ageing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageing/) [Ageing Tenderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageing-tenderly-3245218/) [Destination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destination/) [Elderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly/) [Elderly Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elderly-young-1217108/) [Entirely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entirely/) [Overtaken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overtaken-138424/) [Reciprocal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reciprocal/) [Tenderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenderly/) [Tenderly Treating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenderly-treating-3245220/) [Treating Elderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treating-elderly-3245219/) [Years of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-of-life/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [“Elderly! The forgotten golds of the past; the ignored tired souls of the society! This world has many shames and one of the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/elderly-the-forgotten-golds-of-the-past-the-ignored-tired-souls-of/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [RESPECT the elderly when you're YOUNG HELP the weak when you're STRONG ADMIT your mistakes when you're WRONG. Because one day, you will grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/respect-the-elderly-when-you-re-young-help-the-weak-when-you-re/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Old age is wasted on the elderly: the young know what to do with it-insist on something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-gold/old-age-is-wasted-on-the-elderly-the-young-know-what-to-do-with-it/) [Herbert Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-gold/) > [Also, though not over-elderly, he was not over-young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/also-though-not-over-elderly-he-was-not-over-young/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [No longer are there immutable standards by which to judge ourselves. Image has overtaken reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-goldsmith/no-longer-are-there-immutable-standards-by-which-to-judge-ourselves/) [Barbara Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-goldsmith/) > [The overtaken need not to be taken over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-overtaken-need-not-to-be-taken-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Envy is a sign that you are being overtaken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/envy-is-a-sign-that-you-are-being-overtaken/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [She is overtaken by a sensation of unbeing. There is no other word for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/she-is-overtaken-by-a-sensation-of-unbeing-there-is-no-other-word-for/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [Do you know that disease and death must needs overtake us, no matter what we are doing?... what do you wish to be doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/do-you-know-that-disease-and-death-must-needs-overtake-us-no-matter/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Britain was overtaken not only in gross output but also in output per worker. It lost its lead in technological innovation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/britain-was-overtaken-not-only-in-gross-output-but-also-in-output-per/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Only the one who walks his own way can't be overtaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-brando/only-the-one-who-walks-his-own-way-can-t-be-overtaken/) [Marlon Brando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-brando/) > [A thing may be dreaded as long as it has not overtaken you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-thing-may-be-dreaded-as-long-as-it-has-not-overtaken-you/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [It is a woman's nature to be constant - to love one and one only, blindly, tenderly, and for ever - bless them, dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/it-is-a-woman-s-nature-to-be-constant-to-love-one-and-one-only/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [“Her fingers dug into the flesh of his hips as his own passion peaked. His face was buried in her neck and her skin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/her-fingers-dug-into-the-flesh-of-his-hips-as-his-own-passion-peaked/) [Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/) > [It's always the paragraphs I loved most, the ones I tenderly polished and re-read with pride, that my editor will suggest cutting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/it-s-always-the-paragraphs-i-loved-most-the-ones-i-tenderly-polished/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) ## More by Vincent Okay Nwachukwu > [“In pride some angels lost a glorious relationship and became demons. In humility some humans will gain the glorious relationship and become angels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/in-pride-some-angels-lost-a-glorious-relationship-and-became-demons/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“The intent of peepers may not be to defame the character of their victims but to pride themselves in their ability to sniff out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/the-intent-of-peepers-may-not-be-to-defame-the-character-of-their/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“The possibility of failure does not prevent contestants from competing because when we are optimistic, we tend to ignore failure. But it is failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/the-possibility-of-failure-does-not-prevent-contestants-from/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“Expecting someone to love us exactly the way we are, is utter crap. We must adjust to suit our lover. Love me, love my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/expecting-someone-to-love-us-exactly-the-way-we-are-is-utter-crap-we/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“Deserving ones don’t always get the acclaim. Some people are beautiful but unfortunate, struggling but failing, intelligent but poor, loving but despised. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/deserving-ones-don-t-always-get-the-acclaim-some-people-are-beautiful/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“Some have conscience some others have con science. Beware you're not conned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/some-have-conscience-some-others-have-con-science-beware-you-re-not/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“I want to leave behind something worth more than obituary posters when I am gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/i-want-to-leave-behind-something-worth-more-than-obituary-posters/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“The problem with offering a permanent solution to a temporary problem is that when the problem expires, the solution becomes a problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/the-problem-with-offering-a-permanent-solution-to-a-temporary-problem/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“Anybody announcing obituary with a smile is liable to suspicion. Whether he is responsible for the death or not; he is irresponsible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/anybody-announcing-obituary-with-a-smile-is-liable-to-suspicion/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“A spinster who cannot ‘spin’ a worthwhile ‘star’ is a fallen ‘star’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/a-spinster-who-cannot-spin-a-worthwhile-star-is-a-fallen-star/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“If you think a blink and a wink are one and the same thing, you need a drink to enable you rethink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/if-you-think-a-blink-and-a-wink-are-one-and-the-same-thing-you-need-a/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“It is highly un-African to casually puke out obituary announcement to a close relative except the announcer is pricing strangulation or has bought a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/it-is-highly-un-african-to-casually-puke-out-obituary-announcement-to/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“In a bid to leave behind something worth more than an obituary notice on posters, some dance with death as if their present life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/in-a-bid-to-leave-behind-something-worth-more-than-an-obituary-notice/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“Regrettably, wayward behavior toward the elderly is a password for many youths today. Your watchword should be caution if a challenge is intended, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/regrettably-wayward-behavior-toward-the-elderly-is-a-password-for/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) > [“To train a child in the way he should go, the trainer has to be in front of the same way providing example.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/to-train-a-child-in-the-way-he-should-go-the-trainer-has-to-be-in/) [Vincent Okay Nwachukwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) [Explore all 25 Vincent Okay Nwachukwu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-okay-nwachukwu/) ## More Ageing quotes > [“The whole idea of it makes me feel Like I’m coming down with something, Something worse than any stomach ache Or the headaches I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [People's opinions don't interfere with me. Ageing gracefully is supposed to mean trying not to hide time passing and just looking a wreck. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/people-s-opinions-don-t-interfere-with-me-ageing-gracefully-is/) [Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/) > [“Ageing must be like wearing a heavy, itchy suit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cardamone/ageing-must-be-like-wearing-a-heavy-itchy-suit/) [Tom Cardamone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cardamone/) > [Ageing is, simply and clearly, the accumulation of damage in the body. That's all that ageing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/ageing-is-simply-and-clearly-the-accumulation-of-damage-in-the-body/) [Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/) > [“She has built her whole life on the foundation of beauty: each chiseled plane, each sloping dimple, each soft curve as crucial as keystones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/she-has-built-her-whole-life-on-the-foundation-of-beauty-each/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [“I've been 21 for many years now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/i-ve-been-21-for-many-years-now/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [Age doesn't define maturity. Some people will never grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/age-doesn-t-define-maturity-some-people-will-never-grow-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ageing is so many different things, and cells being able to self-renew is part of the picture but not all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/ageing-is-so-many-different-things-and-cells-being-able-to-self-renew/) [Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/) > [Dying is a matter of slapstick and pratfalls. The ageing process is not gradual or gentle. It rushes up, pushes you over and runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/dying-is-a-matter-of-slapstick-and-pratfalls-the-ageing-process-is/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [Anyone who stops learning is old — whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/anyone-who-stops-learning-is-old-whether-this-happens-at-twenty-or-at/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [All of my friends are my age and we are all ageing at the same time. We talk about it and moan, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-schiffer/all-of-my-friends-are-my-age-and-we-are-all-ageing-at-the-same-time/) [Claudia Schiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-schiffer/) > [You've got to get your head right about ageing. Taking care of diet and exercise and facing your fears about growing older will lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-garraway/you-ve-got-to-get-your-head-right-about-ageing-taking-care-of-diet/) [Kate Garraway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-garraway/) > [Ageing is very rare. We only see it in humans and laboratory animals and in zoo animals and in our pets. Basically, organisms that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/ageing-is-very-rare-we-only-see-it-in-humans-and-laboratory-animals/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [“Growing age can kill the beauty, not the style.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/growing-age-can-kill-the-beauty-not-the-style/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) [Browse all 311 Ageing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The elderly were formerly young before being utterly overtaken by years. It is only orderly that they arrive first at our common destination of ageing. 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