proverb · Words worth keeping
A young man idle, an old man needy.
A young man idle, an old man needy.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Neglecting available opportunities to prepare for the future can leave someone with fewer resources later. Youth and old age frame the consequences over time.
What the words are saying
The saying links earlier idleness to later need, asking the reader to think beyond an immediate choice. It can encourage practice, work or preparation while a genuine opportunity exists. The connection is a warning about avoidable neglect, not a complete explanation of anyone’s later circumstances. People can work hard and still experience poverty, and a period that looks idle may involve illness, care or a lack of opportunity. Its useful application concerns a specific action within a person’s control rather than blaming a whole life.
Everyday example
A learner chooses to practise a skill regularly instead of repeatedly postponing a chance they want to use later.
When to use it
Use it to discuss the future cost of neglecting an available opportunity.
What it does not mean
Later need is not proof of laziness, and rest is not the same as neglect.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 835 · Idle
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English