It may almost be a question whether such wisdom as many of us

The novelist and keen observer of human nature, Anthony Trollope, once declared: “It may almost be a question whether such wisdom as many of us have in our mature years has not come from the dying out of the power of temptation, rather than as the results of thought and resolution.” In this he pierces the pride of age, suggesting that much of what men call wisdom may not spring from heroic struggle or deep reflection, but from the waning of temptation itself. When desire grows weak with passing years, it is easy to seem virtuous, though one’s strength was never truly tested.

The origin of this insight rests in Trollope’s realist vision of life, where human nature is revealed in its frailties as well as its glories. He observed that men in their youth, full of passion, are easily drawn astray, while in later years, when appetites diminish, they cloak themselves in the appearance of wisdom. Yet Trollope warns us: what we call maturity may be less the triumph of resolution, and more the quieting of desire. Thus he humbles the old and challenges the young alike, asking whether their virtue is chosen, or merely inherited from time.

History gives us the example of St. Augustine, who in his Confessions admitted the fire of his youthful temptations and his long struggle to master them. When he finally turned to God, his wisdom was not simply the result of fading desire, but the fruit of reflection, prayer, and deliberate choice. In him we see the nobler path Trollope alludes to—that true resolution, not just the weakness of age, is what makes a soul virtuous.

The ancients also spoke of this contrast. The Greeks told of Odysseus, who faced sirens, Circe, and countless trials, yet resisted through cunning and resolve, proving his wisdom amidst danger. Yet many ordinary men, spared the lure of such temptations by circumstance or fading youth, were thought wise simply because they no longer burned with desire. This is the essence of Trollope’s warning: not all who appear wise have conquered temptation; some have only outlived it.

Therefore, O seekers, let not your wisdom be a mask worn by time. Strive instead to cultivate true resolution, so that when temptation burns brightest, you may stand firm. For the glory of the soul is not in being freed from desire by age, but in learning to master desire by choice. Then your maturity will not be the shadow of waning strength, but the crown of victory over yourself—a wisdom born not of fading passion, but of eternal resolve.