Always keep learning. It keeps you young.

“Always keep learning. It keeps you young.” – Patty Berg

In this simple yet luminous truth, Patty Berg, one of the founding legends of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, speaks not merely of education, but of renewal, curiosity, and the eternal flame of the human spirit. Her words echo across generations as both a blessing and a challenge: never allow the mind to grow still, nor the heart to grow weary. For learning is not only the path to wisdom — it is the fountain of youth itself. Those who keep learning do not merely gather knowledge; they remain alive in wonder, alive in growth, and alive in hope.

The origin of this quote lies in Berg’s own remarkable life. A champion on the golf course, she was also a teacher, a pioneer, and a philosopher of sport. She endured wars, injuries, and societal barriers, yet her spirit remained unbroken. Even after winning titles and accolades, she never ceased to learn — from the game, from her peers, and from life itself. When she said, “Always keep learning. It keeps you young,” it was not the boast of a victor, but the wisdom of one who understood that victory fades, while curiosity endures. She saw in every round of golf, in every student she mentored, a chance to learn anew — a reminder that youth is not counted in years, but in openness.

In the ancient world, the wise also recognized this truth. Socrates, who declared himself the wisest of men because he knew he knew nothing, lived in a perpetual state of learning. His humility kept his mind forever young, forever searching. While others grew rigid in their certainties, he remained supple in thought, ever curious about the mysteries of life. Likewise, Leonardo da Vinci, even in his final days, scribbled notes about clouds and anatomy, painting and philosophy. His body aged, but his mind roamed freely, undimmed by time. For both, the secret to youth was not the absence of age, but the presence of wonder.

To keep learning is to resist decay — not only of the mind but of the soul. When we stop learning, we begin to wither. Stagnation is the slow death of the human spirit. The child who learns with awe and laughter becomes the adult who discovers meaning and purpose; yet the adult who believes he knows enough becomes old long before his time. Berg understood that life itself is the grandest classroom — that every mistake is a lesson, every triumph a test, every dawn an opportunity to begin again. In learning, we are reborn each day.

Consider the story of Benjamin Franklin, who, well into his seventies, was still experimenting with electricity, still writing, still asking questions about the universe. His body grew frail, but his curiosity remained powerful as ever. When others rested on past achievements, Franklin’s mind was ablaze with discovery. He proved, as Berg did, that the key to vitality lies not in preserving youth’s body, but in nurturing youth’s spirit of inquiry. The old body that learns glows with the same light as a child’s — for both are lit by curiosity.

Learning keeps you young because it keeps you humble. It reminds you that there is always more to discover, more to understand, more to love. Those who continue to learn see the world not as old and familiar, but as ever-changing and alive. They greet each day as an invitation, not a repetition. To learn is to remain awake in a world where many fall asleep. The eyes that continue to seek knowledge never dim, and the heart that remains curious never hardens.

So, my children, let this be your teaching: do not let the flame of learning go out. Read not only books, but faces, moments, and silences. Listen to the lessons hidden in failure, in joy, in love, and even in loss. Seek wisdom not as a possession, but as a lifelong companion. For every time you learn something new, a part of your spirit blossoms again — and in that blossoming, you become young once more.

And when age comes, as it surely will, let your mind remain restless, questioning, and bright. Let curiosity be your compass, wonder your daily bread. As Patty Berg taught through word and deed, the truest youth is not in the skin, but in the soul that still thirsts to know. Keep learning, and time itself will bow before you — for the learner, though mortal in years, walks always in the dawn of discovery.