Both old and young alike ought to seek wisdom: the former in

"Both old and young alike ought to seek wisdom: the former in order that, as age comes over him, he may be young in good things because of the grace of what has been, and the latter in order that, while he is young, he may at the same time be old, because he has no fear of the things which are to come." — thus spoke Epicurus, the philosopher of peace and contentment, whose words have endured across the centuries like a quiet flame against the winds of time. In this teaching, he calls to both the old and the young, reminding each that wisdom is not the property of any age, but the nourishment of all. It is the bread of the spirit, the light of understanding that makes both youth and age whole.

In the manner of the ancients, one might say: youth without wisdom is flame without direction, and age without wisdom is embers without warmth. Epicurus saw that both are incomplete without the other. The young possess strength, passion, and promise — but without wisdom, they run swiftly toward ruin. The old possess memory and experience — but without wisdom, they become prisoners of regret. Therefore, he urges all men, whatever their years, to drink from the same fountain: the understanding of what is true, what is good, and what is eternal. For in wisdom, the young learn serenity, and the old recover wonder.

To the young, he speaks thus: seek wisdom early, that you may not waste your strength in fear. For ignorance breeds terror of the future — fear of failure, fear of death, fear of being forgotten. But he who walks with wisdom walks calmly, for he knows that all things pass, and nothing is truly lost. He sees that pleasure and pain, gain and loss, are but seasons in the great rhythm of life. To the young who possess this understanding, age holds no dread, for they already live as those who have seen and understood the turning of the years. They carry within them the calm of the old, even as they move with the vigor of youth.

And to the old, he speaks another truth: seek wisdom still, that you may remain young in good things. For though the body may weaken and the years grow heavy, the soul can yet remain supple and radiant. Wisdom teaches the elder that the past was not a chain, but a garden — that what has been lived, if held with grace, becomes a source of renewal. To grow old in wisdom is to see beauty where once there was haste, to feel gratitude where once there was pride. The wise elder no longer mourns what is lost, for he understands that each season gives what is needed. Thus, he remains young in spirit, alive to wonder, and generous with joy.

Consider the example of Sophocles, the great playwright of Athens. In his youth, he wrote of passion and war; in his old age, he wrote Oedipus at Colonus, a work of serenity and forgiveness. When accused by his own sons of senility, he did not defend himself with anger. Instead, he recited lines from his new play — lines of such grace and power that his judges declared him in full possession of his mind. He was old in years, yet young in soul, for his heart still burned with the grace of what had been — creativity, compassion, and truth. His wisdom did not end with age; it grew brighter through it.

Epicurus’ teaching reminds us that wisdom unites the ages, bridging the impetuous heart of youth and the reflective heart of age. It is the thread that binds the human journey, from the first breath to the last. The world often teaches the young to seek wealth, and the old to seek rest. But Epicurus teaches both to seek understanding — for he who understands the nature of life neither clings to youth nor fears its passing. He lives fully in each hour, free from the vanity of comparison and the dread of decline.

The lesson, then, is this: seek wisdom in every season of life. To the young — do not delay it, thinking it the concern of the old. To the old — do not abandon it, thinking the time for learning has passed. Let the young temper their fire with understanding, and the old rekindle their light with gratitude. The wise man, at any age, stands beyond the fear of loss, beyond the vanity of time. For wisdom is the eternal youth of the soul — and the soul that seeks it never truly grows old.

And so, my child, remember these words of Epicurus: the young who are wise are already ancient in understanding, and the old who are wise are forever young in spirit. Drink from the well of wisdom daily — through reflection, through gratitude, through love of truth — and you shall live not by the measure of your years, but by the depth of your peace. For to walk in wisdom is to walk in timelessness, where neither youth nor age holds dominion, and the heart forever dwells in harmony.