Old men are twice children.
Meaning: Aging reverses mental acuity and emotional control, returning people to childlike dependence and impulsivity.
Origin: The thought is Greek: Aristophanes' Clouds says old men are children twice over, and Sophocles wrote that the aged man is once again a child. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Rosencrantz says of Polonius that "an old man is twice a child."
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Penny wise and pound foolish. — Obsessing over minor savings while making careless decisions about major expenses creates…
- Peril proves who dearly loves. — Danger reveals the depth of someone's affection through their willingness to sacrifice or…
- Foolish pity spoils a city. — Indiscriminate compassion toward the undeserving undermines social order and justice.
- Next to love, quietness. — Tranquility in relationships matters as deeply as affection itself; peace sustains bonds…
- Reckless youth makes rueful age. — Foolish choices made in youth create regret and hardship that haunts the rest of one's li…
- Man reigns and woman rules. — Women exercise subtle, indirect influence over decisions while men hold formal authority…
From our idioms
- Ne connaître ni d'Ève ni d'Adam — Not to know someone at all.
- Fauché comme les blés — Completely broke.
- S'inscrire en faux — To formally deny something and challenge its truth.