Explaining “Youth is wasted on the young”

What does it mean?

The phrase suggests that young people often fail to fully appreciate or make the most of the advantages of youth, such as energy, physical health, and time, due to a lack of experience and wisdom.

Tone

Origin

The phrase is commonly attributed to George Bernard Shaw, although it is also linked with other thinkers like Oscar Wilde. It captures the irony that wisdom and experience typically come with age, when the advantages of youth are no longer present.