One of the delights known to age, and beyond the grasp of youth

In the long journey of life, there comes a time when the fires of youth begin to dim, and the eager rush toward distant goals slows. It is in this quiet moment that one begins to truly understand the depth of a truth that is often overlooked by the young. The great Anthony Burgess, in his infinite wisdom, spoke of this phenomenon when he said: “One of the delights known to age, and beyond the grasp of youth, is that of Not Going.” These words, simple yet profound, touch upon a truth that only the passing years can fully reveal: that there is a rare joy found in the act of staying, in the peaceful surrender to the present, in the acceptance of what is, rather than the relentless chase after what might be.

In youth, the world is a vast, open field. The heart is filled with a longing for adventure, for discovery, for movement. Youth dreams of places yet unseen, of achievements yet unclaimed. The young are driven by the need to go, to forge their path in the world, to stamp their mark upon history. But it is in the later years, when the body grows weary and the spirit more contemplative, that a deeper joy is found—not in the reaching for distant stars, but in the quiet comfort of the earth beneath one’s feet. It is in the stillness, in the acceptance of the here and now, that a new kind of freedom is discovered, one that only time can bestow.

The ancients understood this well. The great Socrates, when asked about the pursuit of wisdom, often spoke of the importance of reflection, of returning to the self and seeking peace within. For Socrates, true wisdom did not come from outward journeys or physical conquests, but from the quiet of the mind, the stillness of the soul. As the years passed and the body aged, the great philosopher knew that there is strength not in the race, but in the ability to stand still, to let the world come to you, and to find clarity in that stillness. This truth, so often ignored by the fiery hearts of the young, is something that can only be fully appreciated with age.

Consider, too, the story of the great Winston Churchill, a man whose life was filled with the noise of war and politics. In his later years, after the tumultuous battles of his youth and middle age, Churchill withdrew from the fevered rush of daily affairs. He turned to the peace of his gardens, to the quiet moments with his paints and his thoughts. Though he had once been a man of relentless action, in his final years, he found joy not in moving forward, but in reflecting upon the path he had already traveled. It was in the stillness of not going, of ceasing the race, that he found a deeper peace and a greater understanding of the world around him.

For Burgess, the joy of not going is not the absence of movement, but the presence of something far more valuable: contentment. In youth, we are always seeking, always striving, always desiring more. We chase after the next achievement, the next experience, the next thrill. But in age, we begin to understand that happiness is not found in perpetual motion, but in the quiet satisfaction of being. The delight of not going is the freedom to simply be, to enjoy the world as it is, without the incessant need to change it, to conquer it, or to run from it.

In our own lives, we must learn to embrace this lesson, for it is a gift that comes only with time. The youthful fire may burn bright, but it is the wisdom of age that teaches us to value the quiet moments, the stillness, the peace found in not rushing toward an imagined future. Let us not wait for the years to pass before we learn this lesson, for the gift of stillness can be embraced at any stage of life. Let us take moments to pause, to sit in the present, to reflect on the journey we have already made, and to find joy in the world as it is, rather than in some distant, unreachable place.

Let this be the lesson we carry forward: that life is not a race to be won, but a journey to be embraced. In every moment of stillness, there is an opportunity to find the richness of life. So, in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, let us remember the delight of not going, of sitting quietly and simply being. It is in this space that we truly find freedom, and in this freedom, we come to know the deeper joys of life. May we, like the wise souls before us, learn to cherish the art of stillness and discover the treasures hidden in the quiet.