The anxiety has been greatly increased by this government's multiplication of exams and emphasis on starting training as a middle manager in a computer company from the age of six. Parents have made things worse by worrying unduly about exam results and seeing that their children work a great deal harder than most middle managers in computer companies." - Meaning and context.">
Ch. 14 : Living with Children
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Childhood, after all, has to be an age of discovery. These are days you'll remember vividly all your life, even when you're old and forget why you came into a room. It must never be allowed to become the age of anxiety.
The anxiety has been greatly increased by this government's multiplication of exams and emphasis on starting training as a middle manager in a computer company from the age of six. Parents have made things worse by worrying unduly about exam results and seeing that their children work a great deal harder than most middle managers in computer companies.

— John Mortimer

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Childhood, after all, has to be an age of discovery. These are days you'll remember vividly all your life, even when you're old and forget why you came into a room. It must never be allowed to become the age of anxiety.
The anxiety has been greatly increased by this government's multiplication of exams and emphasis on starting training as a middle manager in a computer company from the age of six. Parents have made things worse by worrying unduly about exam results and seeing that their children work a great deal harder than most middle managers in computer companies." in the context of "Ch. 14 : Living with Children" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "John Mortimer" (Quotes, Where There's a Will: Thoughts on the Good Life (2003)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
John Mortimer

About John Mortimer

John Mortimer QC (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was an English barrister and writer, best known for his Rumpole of the Bailey television drama series and books.