Unsentimental Sentiment

Faith is Youth

You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.  ~Douglas MacArthur

Why this association between youth and faith? Because faith is merely the belief that we will continue. You will not cease to exist. You will despair if you come to the conclusion that you are old, and will be no more. Faith allows for a young soul, filled with life even into old age.

This faith must of course be grounded in reality to matter. But the association made by MacArthur is correct artistically, romantically, and psychologically.