--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ideas are like beards; men do not have…" description: "\"Ideas are like beards; men do not have them until they grow up.\" — Voltaire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/voltaire-173_beard_ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-th_2175255.png" --- # Ideas are like beards; men do not have them until they… ![“Ideas are like beards; men do not have them until they grow up.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/voltaire-173_beard_ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-th_2175255.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/voltaire-173_beard_ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-th_2175255.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/voltaire-173_beard_ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-th_2175255.png) > “Ideas are like beards; men do not have them until they grow up.” [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas mature only with experience; they are absent in youth. **In simple terms:** Ideas grow like beards, appearing after maturity. Key Takeaway Seek growth before forming opinions. Themes maturity ideas growth Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical didactic When to use this quote - adolescence - education - career advancement Key Concepts philosophy development Questions to Reflect On - When should we hold back judgment? - How does experience shape belief? A Different Perspective Ideas can be premature without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“Ideas are like beards. Men don’t have them until they grow up. Somebody said that, but I can’t remember who.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/ideas-are-like-beards-men-don-t-have-them-until-they-grow-up-somebody-2/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I like beards, and Ive had them fairly often. But usually in the winter. I dont think Ive had a beard quite that long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rudd/i-like-beards-and-ive-had-them-fairly-often-but-usually-in-the-winter/) [Paul Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rudd/) > [I want my kids to have the things in life that I never had when I was growing up. Things like beards and chest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-my-kids-to-have-the-things-in-life-that-i-never-had-when-i-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On my Instagram, lots of people tag me in photos of just dudes with beards and they're like, "Oh my god, I met Chet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-murphy/on-my-instagram-lots-of-people-tag-me-in-photos-of-just-dudes-with/) [Nick Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-murphy/) > [I'm obsessed with beards. First of all, beards make you look like more of an animal. Second, I kind of like biting beards; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/i-m-obsessed-with-beards-first-of-all-beards-make-you-look-like-more/) [Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/) > [Everybody knows it. Wizards are supposed to have beards. It's common knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/everybody-knows-it-wizards-are-supposed-to-have-beards-it-s-common/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [There are two kinds of individuals on Planet Earth who do not have beards - women and youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/there-are-two-kinds-of-individuals-on-planet-earth-who-do-not-have/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [If I were a woman I would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased me, complexions that liked me and breaths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-i-were-a-woman-i-would-kiss-as-many-of-you-as-had-beards-that/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It's a weird thing, beards now. I'll be in east London, and lads come up to me: 'Yo man, what beard oil do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rag-n-bone-man/it-s-a-weird-thing-beards-now-i-ll-be-in-east-london-and-lads-come-up/) [Rag'n'Bone Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rag-n-bone-man/) > [Some men look great unshaven; others just look like they forgot to shave. Beards and mustaches can be really distinctive if you go for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donatella-versace/some-men-look-great-unshaven-others-just-look-like-they-forgot-to/) [Donatella Versace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donatella-versace/) > [There is great truth in Alphonse Karr's remark that modern men are ugly because they do not wear their beards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-augustus-henry-sala/there-is-great-truth-in-alphonse-karr-s-remark-that-modern-men-are/) [George Augustus Henry Sala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-augustus-henry-sala/) > [If bumblebee leavings and stump paste are so good for you, why can't any of those guys (in the health stores) grow full beards?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-trillin/if-bumblebee-leavings-and-stump-paste-are-so-good-for-you-why-can-t/) [Calvin Trillin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-trillin/) > [“His beard was all colors, a grove of trees in autumn, deep brown and fire-orange and wine-red, an untrimmed tangle across the lower half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/his-beard-was-all-colors-a-grove-of-trees-in-autumn-deep-brown-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Safety razors make it hard to grow beards in America: America would be a better place if there were a few bearded, savage, terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/safety-razors-make-it-hard-to-grow-beards-in-america-america-would-be/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I was born with a beard. We're quite hairy down in Latin America. We don't have to use sponges when we wash dishes. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-was-born-with-a-beard-we-re-quite-hairy-down-in-latin-america-we/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) ## More by Voltaire > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Fanaticism, to which men are so much inclined, has always served not only to render them more brutalized but more wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/fanaticism-to-which-men-are-so-much-inclined-has-always-served-not/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good; we do the best we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/we-re-neither-pure-nor-wise-nor-good-we-do-the-best-we-know/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-with-books-as-with-men-a-very-small-number-play-a-great-part/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/meslier-was-the-most-singular-phenomenon-ever-seen-among-all-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Being unable to make people more reasonable, I preferred to be happy away from them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/being-unable-to-make-people-more-reasonable-i-preferred-to-be-happy/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-his-highness-sends-a-ship-to-egypt-does-he-trouble-his-head/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/madness-is-to-think-of-too-many-things-in-succession-too-fast-or-of/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/god-gave-us-the-gift-of-life-it-is-up-to-us-to-give-ourselves-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-not-inequality-which-is-the-real-misfortune-it-is-dependence/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Providence has given us hope and sleep as a compensation for the many cares of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/providence-has-given-us-hope-and-sleep-as-a-compensation-for-the-many/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Men use thought only to justify their wrong doings, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/men-use-thought-only-to-justify-their-wrong-doings-and-employ-speech/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/work-spares-us-from-three-evils-boredom-vice-and-need/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) [Explore all 934 Voltaire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More Beard quotes > [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. When someone sees you wearing a beard, they're seeing something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/a-beard-is-something-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-to-the-viewer-when/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“Nay! Faith, let me not play a woman! I have a beard coming!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/nay-faith-let-me-not-play-a-woman-i-have-a-beard-coming/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grump-looking old man with a great deal of a long gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-barman-sidled-toward-them-out-of-a-back-room-he-was-a-grump/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born with a beard. We're quite hairy down in Latin America. We don't have to use sponges when we wash dishes. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-was-born-with-a-beard-we-re-quite-hairy-down-in-latin-america-we/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [“beard framing a face that had started to show his age, weathered and lined from years”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allibone/beard-framing-a-face-that-had-started-to-show-his-age-weathered-and/) Richard Allibone > [If I can play, and change the mind of one person about being a Muslim player and having a beard, then I'll feel as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moeen-ali/if-i-can-play-and-change-the-mind-of-one-person-about-being-a-muslim/) [Moeen Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moeen-ali/) > [“Pride is like a beard. It is just keeps growing; the solution?- Shave it every day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ong/pride-is-like-a-beard-it-is-just-keeps-growing-the-solution-shave-it/) George Ong > [“I have no idea why this is. I’m sure somebody with a beard and too much time on their hands would say it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-spalding/i-have-no-idea-why-this-is-i-m-sure-somebody-with-a-beard-and-too/) [Nick Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-spalding/) > [They were bullyin' him, Hermione, 'cause he's so small!" said Hagrid. "Small?" said Hermione. "Small?" "Hermione, I couldn't leave him," said Hagrid, tears now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-were-bullyin-him-hermione-cause-he-s-so-small-said-hagrid-small/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Allow me," said the elf, proffering Gimlet's beard to Frito, who was now sneezing uncontrollably.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-harvard-lampoon/allow-me-said-the-elf-proffering-gimlet-s-beard-to-frito-who-was-now/) [The Harvard Lampoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-harvard-lampoon/) > [Never insult a mans beard, you either get thunder or lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/si-robertson/never-insult-a-mans-beard-you-either-get-thunder-or-lightning/) [Si Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/si-robertson/) > [If we didn't live venturously, plucking the wild goat by the beard, and trembling over precipices, we should never be depressed, I've no doubt;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/if-we-didn-t-live-venturously-plucking-the-wild-goat-by-the-beard-and/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [If I had to choose between the two ways of approaching the deity, I should prefer the existential relational way, to the abstract philosophical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-cross/if-i-had-to-choose-between-the-two-ways-of-approaching-the-deity-i/) [Frank Moore Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-cross/) > [“Shave that Moses beard and you might have better luck. Women don’t want to kiss carpet, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/shave-that-moses-beard-and-you-might-have-better-luck-women-don-t/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [If Elmore Leonard met Jim Thompson down a dark alley at midnight they might emerge a week later with thick beards, bloodshot eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/if-elmore-leonard-met-jim-thompson-down-a-dark-alley-at-midnight-they/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) Browse all 588 Beard quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ideas are like beards; men do not have them until they grow up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Voltaire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-them-until-they-grow-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beard" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-them-until-they-grow-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/voltaire-173_beard_ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-th_2175255.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/voltaire-173_beard_ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-th_2175255.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/voltaire-173_beard_ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-th_2175255.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ideas are like beards; men do not have them until they grow up.” — Voltaire", "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": "Voltaire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ideas are like beards; men do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-them-until-they-grow-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/ideas-are-like-beards-men-do-not-have-them-until-they-grow-up/#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 } } ] } ```