William James, the great psychologist , said that most men are "old fogies at twenty-five". He was right. Most men at twenty-five are satisfied with their jobs. They have closed their minds to all new ideas; they have stopped to grow. The minute a man stops to grow -no matter what his years -that minute he begins to be old. On the other hand, the really great man never grows old. Goethe passed away at eighty-three, and finished his only a few years earlier; Gladstone took up a new language when he was seventy. Laplace, the astronomer, was still at work when death caught up with him at seventy-eight. He died crying, "What we know is nothing; what we do not know is immense (extremely large)." And there you have the real answer to the question, "When is a man old?" Laplace at seventy-eight died young. He was still unsatisfied, still sure that he had a lot to learn. As long as a man can keep himself in that attitude of mind, as long as he can look back on every year and say, "I grew", he is still young. The minute he ceases (stops) to grow, the minute he says to himself, "I know all that I need to know," -that day youth stops. He may be twenty-five or seventy-five; it makes no difference. On that day he begins to be old.
Who is William James?
And what did he say about most men?
Is he right?
How so?
What about those who don't?
What did Gladstone do?
At what age?
How did Laplace feel when he died?
Why?
Did he believe that we knew anything?
William James is a great psychologist.
William James, the great psychologist
He said that most men are "old fogies at twenty-five".
said that most men are "old fogies at twenty-five".
Yes, he was right.
He was right
At twenty-five, most men are satisfied with their jobs and close their minds to new ideas.
Most men at twenty-five are satisfied with their jobs. They have closed their minds to all new ideas; they have stopped to grow. The minute a man stops to grow -no matter what his years -that minute he begins to be old.
They never grow old.
On the other hand, the really great man never grows old.
Took up a new language.
Gladstone took up a new language when he was seventy
Seventy.
Gladstone took up a new language when he was seventy.
Unsatisfied.
Laplace at seventy-eight died young. He was still unsatisfied, still sure that he had a lot to learn.
He was still sure that he had a lot to learn.
He was still unsatisfied, still sure that he had a lot to learn.
No.
He died crying, "What we know is nothing; what we do not know is immense (extremely large)."