The old -- like children -- talk to themselves, for they have reached that hopeless wisdom of experience which knows that though one were to cry it in the streets to multitudes, or whisper it in the kiss to one's beloved, the only ears that can ever hear one's secrets are one's own!

Summary

This quote suggests that as people grow older and accumulate life experience, they become aware that their wisdom and personal secrets can only truly be understood by themselves. It implies that others may not fully comprehend or appreciate the depth of one's experiences, no matter how passionately or quietly they are shared. Therefore, the truest understanding and acknowledgement of oneself can only come when one talks and reflects internally, much like how children often engage in self-talk.

Topics