I know of no greater fallacy, nor one more widely believed, than the statement that youth is the happiest time of life.
As we advance in years, we grow happier if we live intelligently. The universe is spectacular, and it is a free show. Difficulties and responsibilities strengthen and enrich the mind. To live abundantly is like climbing a mountain or a tower.
To say that youth is happier than maturity is like saying the view from the bottom of the tower is better than the view from the top. As we ascend, the range of our views widens. The horizon is pushed farther away. Finally, as we reach the summit, it is as if we had the world at our feet.
William Lyon Phelps, Autobiography with Letters. New York: Scribner 1939.
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