Who said “The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.”?

Verified

George Santayana. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceDialogues in Limbo (1926)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Dialogues in Limbo (1926).

APA

Santayana, G. (n.d.). The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14399-the-young-man-who-has-not-wept-is/

MLA

Santayana, George. “The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14399-the-young-man-who-has-not-wept-is/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Santayana, George. “The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14399-the-young-man-who-has-not-wept-is/.