"Growing old is like being increasingly penalized for a crime you haven't committed"
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
About this Quote
This quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin speaks to the unfairness of aging. As we age, we are significantly penalized for something we have not done. We are punished for the passage of time, for something that is out of our control. We are punished for the wrinkles that form on our skin, for the grey hairs that appear, and for the pains and discomforts that include age. We are punished for the loss of energy and vigor, for the fading of our memories, and for the slowing of our minds. We are punished for the modifications that feature age, even though we have actually not done anything incorrect. Aging is an inescapable part of life, however it can be difficult to accept the modifications that feature it. We can take comfort in the fact that we are not being penalized for something we have actually done, however rather for something that runs out our control.