The Difficulty of These Times

Saturday, 15 July 1944
"For in its innermost depths youth is lonelier than old age." I read this in some book and I've always remembered it, and found it to be true. Is it true that grownups have a more difficult time here than we do? No. I know it isn't. Older people have formed their opinions and don't waver before they act. It's twice as hard for us young ones to hold our ground, and maintain our opinions, in a time when all ideals are being shattered and destroyed, when people are showing their worst sides, and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and God.
Anyone who claims that the older ones have a more difficult time here certainly does not realize to what extent our problems weigh down on us, problems for which we are probably much too young, but which thrust themselves upon us continually until after a long time, we think we've found a solution, but the solution doesn't seem able to resist the facts which reduce it to nothing again. That is the difficulty in these times: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us only to meet the horrible truth and be shattered.

~Excerpted from The Diary of Anne Frank