Original artwork, not a still
Youth is a quality, not a matter of circumstances.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The sentiment is the familiar one that being young is a temperament, not an age or a situation, and it works as a gentle rebuke to anyone using circumstances as an excuse for feeling old. Pinned on a famously energetic architect, it gains a ring of authority, though the attribution is unproven.
Context reviewed
In context
May contain spoilersShow the scene
This line circulates under Frank Lloyd Wright's name, but no book, speech or interview of his has been found for it. Wikiquote's page for the architect, which lists his sourced words from A Testament (1957) and The Living City (1958) along with attributed and misattributed sayings, does not include it. The thought is close to Samuel Ullman's essay-poem "Youth", the one that begins by saying youth is not a time of life but a state of mind and calls it a quality of the imagination. Treat the Wright attribution as unverified until a primary source turns up.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Frank Lloyd WrightQuotes, Attributed and Misattributed sectionsReference checked
- Wikiquote: Samuel Ullman'Youth' textReference checked
Context reviewed
