We have to give up all sorts of things, and accept with serenity the prospect of death, while remaining as active, as sociable and friendly as we can, despite an unavoidable measure of loneliness. We must learn to use leisure profitably, take up new interests, interest ourselves in young people and new ideas. pp 1-2
What each of us needs is a 'reconversion' from earning our living to cultural activity. ... To acquire culture ... is to develop oneself, to progress, to contribute to the progress of the human race, to find a meaning in life which can survive the cessation of professional activity. p. 5
The active person allows many of his talents to lie fallow in order to develop a few which are indispensable to his professional and social success. The integration to which Jung calls him in the second part of his life, this new advance towards a more complete human fulfilment, involves the reawakening of everything that he has for a long time had to sacrifice to his career. p. 11
... lots of retired people are bored because they do not know what to do with their enforced liberty! p. 20
Moreover, when one grows old, as Mauriac remarks, I believe one finds special pleasure in re-reading old books one has read in the past. p. 33 *[As I am doing now with this book.]
.. moral injustices. One of the gravest is the fact that the retired and the aged do not feel that they are looked upon as of equal value with the other members of society, as members with a 'full share', as General de Gaulle remarked in another context. p. 37
We have given things a priority over persons, we have built up a civilization based on things rather than on person. p. 40
... those in the autumn of their lives, are reaching the summer of their wisdom. p. 123
We must change in order to stay the same. To live is to grow old. p. 182
