There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I

Hear the sorrowful yet piercing words of J. B. Priestley, who once declared: “There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age, I missed it coming and going.” In these words lies the lament of a soul who has walked the long road of life, only to find honor withheld at every stage. His statement is not merely complaint, but a reflection upon the timeless tension between youth and age, and the neglect of both by a society too blind to cherish either.

The meaning of this utterance is clear: Priestley speaks of a double wound. In his youth, he found that the young were dismissed as reckless, ignorant, or insignificant. When age arrived, he discovered a new dismissal—that the old were now seen as obsolete, out of touch, or expendable. Thus, he was robbed of dignity both at the beginning and at the end, “missing it coming and going.” His lament exposes the human tendency to devalue the stages of life, forgetting that each season carries its own wisdom, its own strength, its own beauty.

The origin of such reflection is born from Priestley’s own experience as a writer and thinker in the 20th century, a period when rapid industrial and cultural changes created rifts between generations. The young cried out for new voices, while the old clung to the fading echoes of tradition. In such times, respect was often eroded by impatience, and Priestley, who had lived through both phases, gave voice to the sting of this neglect. His words are not confined to his own age but speak to every generation that has wrestled with the balance of honoring the young and cherishing the old.

History provides us with poignant examples. Consider Socrates, accused and condemned by the youth of Athens who saw him as a corruptor, though his wisdom was unparalleled. In his age, he was rejected by the young who should have revered him. Contrast this with the story of Joan of Arc, a mere girl when she led armies and was dismissed by the elders of her time as naïve, fanatical, and unworthy of trust. Both young and old, at different times, were denied respect. Priestley’s lament finds echo in their stories: greatness often exists in both youth and age, yet society fails to honor either properly.

The emotional force of Priestley’s words is their universality. Who has not felt dismissed in youth, their ideas belittled as immaturity? Who has not seen elders cast aside, their wisdom ignored in favor of novelty? His lament becomes a mirror, forcing us to recognize our failure to honor the wholeness of life. For the truth is this: youth brings vision, age brings wisdom, and both are needed if humanity is to endure with strength. When one is dismissed and the other scorned, the cycle of disrespect devours itself.

The lesson is clear: we must cultivate respect across all seasons of life. Let us listen to the young, for their dreams hold the seeds of tomorrow. Let us revere the old, for their experience is the root that anchors those dreams. Let us not, like the society Priestley describes, rob people of dignity in both beginnings and endings. To respect both youth and age is to honor the fullness of human existence, to weave a bond that unites generations instead of setting them against one another.

Therefore, let your actions reflect this wisdom. If you are young, seek counsel from the old, and honor their struggles, for they once walked where you stand. If you are old, respect the fire of the young, for they carry the torch into a future you cannot yet see. And if you are in between, be the bridge that binds both, ensuring that neither is lost to scorn. In doing so, you will break the cycle of neglect Priestley lamented, and build a world where dignity flows to all, regardless of age.

And so, remember the teaching of J. B. Priestley: to deny respect to youth and to age is to wound the very fabric of humanity. Let us not allow any generation to be cast aside, but instead honor every stage as sacred. For only when the young are cherished and the old are revered will life itself be respected in its wholeness, from its first dawn to its final twilight.