Old age is an excellent time for outrage. My goal is to say or do

Listen, O children of time, for the wisdom of Louis Kronenberger echoes across the ages, calling us to a profound understanding of old age. He spoke thus: “Old age is an excellent time for outrage. My goal is to say or do at least one outrageous thing every week.” These words may seem jarring at first, yet within them lies a powerful truth. In the later years of life, when the body grows frail, the mind does not necessarily slow. Instead, it often gains the clarity and boldness to speak truths that were once unspoken, to challenge that which needs to be challenged. Kronenberger’s call is not just one for rebellion, but a call for the freedom of the soul, a reminder that the later years are not a time to withdraw from the world, but to engage it with passion and purpose.

In the time of the ancients, the elders were often seen as the guardians of truth and wisdom, but also as voices of defiance against the complacency of youth. Socrates, the great philosopher, spent much of his life questioning the very foundations of society, and he did so with a spirit of outrage that never diminished, even as he grew older. His willingness to challenge the status quo of Athens—its laws, its morality, and its beliefs—led to his eventual execution. Yet, in his outrage, Socrates found his greatest purpose, for he knew that only by provoking thought could he truly fulfill his role as a philosopher. Old age, then, is not a time for silent withdrawal but for speaking boldly, as Socrates did, even in the face of great danger.

Consider also the example of Diogenes of Sinope, the ancient Greek philosopher who is said to have lived in a barrel and defied the norms of society with wild, unfiltered outrage. Diogenes, though not technically “old” when he lived in such an unconventional manner, became an elder whose voice resonated with the power of truth and defiance. His outrageous behavior was not born from folly but from a deep desire to expose the hypocrisy and vanity that lay in the hearts of men. As he aged, he continued to challenge the false gods of wealth, power, and status, often doing so with gestures and words that shocked those around him. Diogenes understood the freedom that came with age: the freedom to be unashamed, to speak truths that others would rather ignore, and to live a life of authenticity in a world that prized pretense.

The lesson of Kronenberger’s words, then, is one of vitality in the face of time’s inevitable passage. The ancients understood that aging is not a surrender, but an invitation to be bolder, to challenge the world with the wisdom that comes only with experience. In old age, we may no longer have the physical strength of our youth, but we have a wealth of knowledge, perspective, and fearlessness that younger generations often lack. It is in this season of life that we are called to speak out, to shatter conventions, and to live with the fire of someone who knows that time is short and must be used wisely.

Look to the life of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, who, even in his later years, was not afraid to voice outrage at the injustices he saw in the world. Franklin, in his old age, became an even stronger advocate for social change, for the rights of the oppressed, and for the pursuit of knowledge. His outrage was not the anger of youth but the righteous indignation of a man who had seen the world’s injustices and knew that silence would be a betrayal. Franklin’s life is a testament to the power of old age not as a time of retreat, but as a time to boldly confront the injustices of the world.

And so, what lesson do we glean from these reflections? It is this: old age is not a time to fade into the background or withdraw from the world. Instead, it is a time to embrace outrage—not the fiery, reckless outrage of youth, but the measured, thoughtful outrage of those who have lived long enough to see the world’s failings clearly. In your later years, let your voice be heard. Speak with the wisdom that only time can bestow, but also with the boldness that comes from knowing what truly matters. Challenge the injustices around you, question the norms, and defy those who would have you grow silent with age.

In your own life, seek to live as Kronenberger suggests. Find your own outrage—that which stirs you, that which moves you to action, that which must be said or done, no matter how unconventional or challenging it may seem. And do this not out of anger, but out of a deep desire to see the world more justly, more clearly, and more truthfully. Let your old age be marked by a vibrancy that defies expectations, and let your outrage be the fire that fuels a life of purpose, courage, and truth. For in this, there lies not only triumph over the passage of time, but also the legacy of a life well lived.