Norman Douglas Quotes

I have a feeling that books are a lot like people - they change as you age, so that some books that you hated in high school will strike you with the force of a revelation when you're older.

When I was at drama school, I wanted to change the world, and thought I had some great wisdom to impart to people about humanity. Now that I'm older, I know enough to realise that I know nothing at all.

Age is getting to know all the ways the world turns, so that if you cannot turn the world the way you want, you can at least get out of the way so you won't get run over.

I think for all of us, as we age, there are always a few moments when you are shocked.

Everything that happens later in life is appreciated in a different way. You can appreciate the thing for what it is, which you couldn't if you were 25 and had never experienced much else. You would take it all for granted and think that's what life is like.

I've experienced a lot for someone my age that a lot of people will be able to relate to.

If you live long enough, you'll experience everything.

I don't know if it's that the scripts are evolving or just that I'm getting older, but the characters become more interesting as you get older because you've lived more life at different stages. You've loved; you've lost; you have more of that journey.

I think as I've gotten older, I've learned to look at life and take every day as it comes.

A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.

My advice would be not to write until after 35. You need some experience, and for life to knock you about a bit. Growing up is so hard you probably won't have much emotion to spare anyway.

You see things differently at 40 than you do at 31. Especially if you got to 40 the way I did.

I have seen quite a lot of things in life. I would not like to change anything. Because every moment of my life has taught me something.

I don't want to be 25 again.

The thing to remember about being young is you eventually get old.

I've been around a long time, and life still has a whole lot of surprises for me.

A young man is a theory, an old man is a fact.

Oh, the most important thing about myself is that my life has been full of changes. Therefore, when I observe the world, I don't expect to see it just like I was seeing the fellow who lives in the next room.

Oh my gosh, I'd give so much advice to a younger version of myself. I would say it really does get better as you get older. The things that mean so much, the things that seem like, you know, it's going to cause the end of the world, are all things that I've already forgotten.

Youth is seen as everything. You don't know anything when you're young. It's great being older, just having a more balanced perspective. I wake up and realise that what seemed to be important last year no longer is. I'm increasingly grateful for every day.

I take it to be a principle rule of life, not to be too much addicted to any one thing.

I like changing the pace of my life, changing my discipline. It gives me ideas for how to see the world differently.

For years I wanted to be older, and now I am.

You have to treat people gently because we're all in a process. What might seem like a good idea to somebody at 21 is probably not going to seem like a good idea at 50, but you don't know that until you get there.

People say you become more cynical as you get older. That hasn't been my experience.