For the mind alone flourishes in age; and while time takes away everything else, it adds wisdom to old age.
 Plutarch, Moralia (c. 100 AD). copy citation

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Author Plutarch
Source Moralia
Topic wisdom age
Date c. 100 AD
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by Arthur Richard Shilleto
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/23639/23639-h/23639-h.htm

Context

“And two of the most powerful agencies in man's nature are mind and reason. And mind governs reason, and reason obeys mind; and mind is irremovable by fortune, cannot be taken away by informers, cannot be destroyed by disease, cannot have inroads made into it by old age. For the mind alone flourishes in age; and while time takes away everything else, it adds wisdom to old age. Even war, that sweeps away everything else like a winter torrent, cannot take away education. And Stilpo, the Megarian, seems to me to have made a memorable answer when Demetrius enslaved Megara and rased it to the ground.” source