Thursday Quotables is a weekly meme made by Bookshelf Fantasies where you write about a quote that sticks out to you, preferably from what you’re reading right now.
My quote this week comes from White Teeth by Zadie Smith.
Now, how do the young prepare to meet the old? The same way the old prepare to meet the young with a little condescension; with low expectations of the other’s rationality; with the knowledge that the other will find what they say hard to understand, that it will go beyond them (not so much over the head as between the legs); and with the feeling that they must arrive with something the other will like, something suitable. Like Garibaldi biscuits.
I love this quote because of how true it is. There’s a certain bias when it comes to the young judging the old and vice versa. I find that it shows sometimes, how hard it is to communicate with someone who feels so different than you whether it’s an age barrier or cultural barrier. If you’re young, this person is older than you feels more knowledgeable and more experienced but at the same time so out of touch with what is relevant right now that you feel he/she can’t relate to you. But I like this quote because the judgement from both parties is the same even though we feel like we’re talking to very different people.
What do you think of this quote?
A Hundred thousand Stories 
This is great! I think the concept is so immediately real, and it’s interesting to note that the expectations are identical across the age divide. Great choice!
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Thank you =) Glad you liked it too
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