Named source · 1713

Thoughts on Various Subjects Quotes by Jonathan Swift: Context & Meanings

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Every man desires to live long; but no man would be old.

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“Every man desires to live long; but no man would be old.”

Jonathan Swift

Meaning & context

Swift compresses a familiar contradiction into satire: people may desire a long life while resisting the aging that necessarily accompanies it.

Source details

Thoughts on Various Subjects, c. 1713, Wikisource transcription. The aphorism is a satirical paradox about longevity and aging, not advice to fear or devalue old age.

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