Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men.

When Kin Hubbard quipped, “Boys will be boys, and so will a lot of middle-aged men,” he spoke with the piercing clarity of humor that conceals profound observation. On its surface, the saying evokes laughter, but beneath it lies a meditation on human immaturity, habit, and the persistence of youthful folly well into adulthood. Hubbard, a 19th and early 20th-century American humorist, understood that the passage of time does not automatically temper impulsiveness, vanity, or foolishness. Some men, he warns with wit, carry the impulses of youth into middle age, demonstrating that physical growth does not always equal moral or emotional maturity.

The ancients recognized this truth long before Hubbard put it in words. In the writings of Plato, the philosopher warned that the unexamined life is the one most likely to repeat the follies of youth. The Roman poet Juvenal, in his satires, noted the stubbornness of certain men who, despite years and wisdom, act with the recklessness and pride of adolescence. Hubbard’s observation, though playful, is grounded in this timeless recognition of human nature: maturity is not merely measured by age or stature, but by self-control, judgment, and the capacity to act with foresight.

Consider history’s countless leaders whose youthful tendencies persisted into their reigns. Napoleon Bonaparte, though a military genius, often acted with impulsivity reminiscent of his early ambitious boyhood. His decisions were occasionally reckless, driven by pride and passion rather than careful deliberation, reminding us that the impulses of youth do not always wane with age. Hubbard’s quip suggests that the “middle-aged men” of society often carry these same tendencies — not out of malice, but because habit and temperament resist the passage of time.

This insight also applies to ordinary life. Many men, advancing in years, continue to chase novelty, status, or attention with the same vigor and naivety they displayed in youth. They may indulge in vanity, flirtation, or competitiveness as if the lessons of experience do not apply. Hubbard’s humor is a mirror held up to society, showing that human foibles are persistent, and that age alone does not guarantee wisdom. Laughter arises because recognition of one’s own or others’ continued folly is both poignant and universal.

Yet within this witticism lies a subtle moral guidance. By observing that some men remain “boys,” Hubbard encourages self-reflection and self-discipline. If one recognizes in oneself the impulses of youth that should have been tempered, there is the opportunity to grow — to balance energy with wisdom, desire with restraint, and ambition with humility. The ancients, from Seneca to Aristotle, would have approved of this approach: the conscious cultivation of virtue is the true marker of adulthood, not mere chronological progression.

This wisdom is evident in modern examples as well. Consider Winston Churchill, whose humor, audacity, and occasional stubbornness persisted throughout his life. Yet unlike men consumed by their youthful impulses, Churchill harnessed his energy, channeling what might have been folly into statesmanship. Hubbard’s quote, then, is both a humorous observation and a warning: those who do not temper their boyish impulses may achieve notoriety, but not true greatness or lasting respect.

The lesson is therefore clear: recognize the impulses that linger from youth and temper them with wisdom, reflection, and foresight. Laugh at folly, in oneself and in others, but do not excuse it simply because it is habitual. Growth demands conscious effort, a vigilance that prevents the habits of adolescence from controlling the life of a mature man.

So, O listener, carry Hubbard’s insight with both humor and seriousness: while boys will be boys, you need not remain one. Strive to temper impulse with discernment, to balance passion with reason, and to wield the energy of youth with the judgment of experience. Only then can the passage of years fulfill its promise — that maturity is not merely surviving time, but becoming fully human in wisdom, virtue, and self-mastery.