“As distance tests a horse’s strength, time reveals a person’s character.”

Dane Preston
2 min readApr 25, 2022

路遥知马力,日久见人心。(Lùyáo zhī mǎlì, rìjiǔ jiàn rénxīn)

Clock
Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

Time heals, but it can also reveal. Written anonymously during the 13th century, this proverb shows the value of time when it comes to revealing the true nature of a person.

This is most evident in relationships, not only does time tell you the nature of a person but also your compatibility with them:

  • Are they a good person?
  • Do you benefit from their presence?
  • Do they deserve your time?

Most of these questions can only be answered through time, as the proverb says, time will reveal all these answers eventually.

This proverb can also be applied to yourself. I believe that if you are to judge others you should lay equal judgment upon yourself. Time will reveal who you truly are, so test yourself with it.

  • When undergoing a new hobby take time to see if you really like it.
  • Invest time in relationships to see if you benefit from them.
  • Don’t be quick to say you don’t like something or someone.

People say to not judge a book by its cover and this proverb exemplifies that. Time is a valuable tool in analyzing yourself and others, so regardless of a positive or negative first impression, use time as your final judge.

If you enjoyed this article and want to read more from me please consider signing up for medium through this link

--

--

Dane Preston

Writing about all things philosophy, positivity, and mental toughness.