We of an older generation can get along with what we have, though with growing hardship; but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied and man so thoughtlessly destroyed; and because of that want you will reproach us, not for what we have used, but for what we have wasted...So any nation which in its youth lives only for the day, reaps without sowing, and consumes without husbanding, must expect the penalty of the prodigal whose labor could with difficulty find him the bare means of life.

Summary

This quote reflects on the generational divide and the potential repercussions of unsustainable actions. It suggests that older generations have learned to manage with the resources available to them, even amidst growing hardships. However, the quote warns that the future generations will face the consequences of the natural resources depleted by their ancestors. The quote emphasizes the importance of responsible stewardship, implying that nations that exploit resources without considering sustainability will eventually suffer the consequences, much like a prodigal individual who wastes their labor and struggles to sustain themselves.

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