With age comes wisdom. With wisdom comes aphorisms.
Many older people favor pithy comments that encapsulate a piercing insight. They cite them frequently in an endearing attempt to reduce life’s complexities into bite-size pieces of advice.
These sayings, often meaty and memorable, tend to resonate with young, impressionable listeners. It’s easy to think that a seemingly profound observation conveys eternal truth.
But does it?
Some pearls of wisdom wither upon close inspection. Others withstand the glare of scrutiny and prove consistently sound.
To help you sift among old chestnuts, we rate the following aphorisms on a 1-to-10 scale (with 10 as most accurate):
You’re more likely to regret something you never did than something you did.
Reflecting on decades of adulthood, retirees might lament certain career choices, investments or romantic entanglements. So does that mean you’ll regret non-action more than the abortive actions you took?
It largely depends on the time elapsed. If you’re musing about a lost opportunity from 40 years ago — as opposed to last month — you’re more apt to regret what you didn’t do. That’s due to the wistfulness that accumulates over time as you wonder what would’ve happened had you acted.
Say you ask someone on a date and get rejected. Ouch, but at least you can shut the door on it. If you never try, you can endlessly imagine pleasing outcomes that will never materialize.
Accuracy rating: 7.
Stop and smell the roses.
Seniors often warn young go-getters not to work, work, work. They might add that on your deathbed, you never wish you spent more time at the office.
Research indicates that there’s validity to acknowledging the simple pleasures before they pass you by. A 2012 Rutgers University study found that appreciation and gratitude are tied to happiness.
It gets tricky, though, if you derive great satisfaction from your labor. Creative types who attain a state of flow don’t notice the passing of time because they’re so immersed in the process itself. Stopping to sniff roses can derail their momentum and leave them struggling to regroup.
Accuracy rating: 6.
It is better to live rich than to die rich.
Who wants to leave money on the table? It’s better to spend it while you can enjoy it, right?
Well, not exactly.
When English writer Samuel Johnson made this comment in 1778, he was lauding an old friend for giving away much of his savings to help relatives in need. While indulging your generous impulses is better than hoarding your cash like a miser, you can go too far and squander your nest egg on undeserving (or conniving) recipients.
With life expectancies rising, another danger emerges if you live rich: you can overspend on hollow material purchases and wind up outliving your assets. And if you live too lavishly, you might never experience the peace of mind of knowing that you’ve left a lasting legacy to the charity of your choice.
Accuracy rating: 4.
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
Marie Curie’s brilliance and courage are undeniable. But let’s cut to the chase and admit that fear has its place.
If you’re fearless, you might take foolhardy, life-endangering risks. Obliviousness to justifiable fear can leave your spouse alone to raise your young children.
Accuracy rating: 3.