The attraction of youth may be just in the fact that they waste their power without knowing how to use it.

Turgenev

The Russian novelist of the 19th century says that the privilege of youth is in that "you can think you can do anything" rather than in that "you can do anything". It may be a bit harsh to  modern young people who feel whatever they would do is the same. On the other hand, if getting older means that you can think without fear that there is nothing you cannot do because you are supposed to disappear from this world soon, it is not too bad. From a novel, "First Love" (translated by Kyoko Numano).

December 20  2018

from “Oriori no Kotoba” by Kiyokazu Washida, The Asahi Shimbun"