Approaching his 70th birthday on December 1, Allen complained that ageing was a “terrible thing”. “It’s all just bad news. You deteriorate physically and die!” he said. “All the crap they tell you about — you know, dangling your grandchildren on your knee, and having a kind of wisdom in your golden years — it’s all tripe,” he said. “I’ve gained no wisdom, no insight, no mellowing. I would make all the same mistakes again, today.”
Source: “Sex scandal was my luckiest break, claims Woody Allen”, Sunday Times, November 2, 2005
This man must be all the rage at dinner parties! I wonder where this will rank among Allen’s many inspirational quotes.
I thought Woody is supposed to be revered as a great observer of the human condition; none of what he’s taken in the last 30 or 40 years has given him any insight? It’s good to hear, from his own mouth, that Woody Allen is as much of a failure as a decent human being as he seems. Is it shocking that a man that marries his stepdaughter doesn’t get to enjoy the experience of grandchildren on his knee?
I’m glad to hear that Woody has maintained his mental sharpness.
IMHO, most of the bliss of the Golden Years is loss of brain matter and acceptance of mortality. I recenty passed 40 and I feel it already… loss of mental acuity, loss of friends to death, slower recovery times from exercise and injury. I just hope that I remain mentally clear enough over the next few decades to appreciate what a slight aging really is.
FWIW, my 20-something daughter would probably dislike it if I married somebody younger than her, but I doubt that it would keep me from accessing my grand-kids 😉
I think that statement says more about Woody Allen than about the aging process. Being young isn’t a picnic either, however someone smart will make the best of both conditions (strength and agility when they are young – wisdom and the ability to boss young agile people around when they are old). Someone with a positive outlook on life will look to the positive no matter where they are. Woody Allen always has been a whiner.
His comments echo what Astrid Lindgren said. She was a legendary writer of children’s books, and not really known for making controversial statements, but once said “Getting old is all shit”. Sounds even better in Swedish, with a real kick in the final “scheet”. 🙂
In this world, after 40, you make way for the young. If we tried to hang on to the threads of youth, there is only disillusion to meet us.
He may not be dandling grand-children, but he is bouncing a step-daughter.