How to Read “Even a sage may not meet their time”
sei mo toki ni awazu
Meaning of “Even a sage may not meet their time”
This proverb means that even people with exceptional talent or virtue cannot fully demonstrate their abilities if the era or environment does not favor them.
Even someone with the character of a sage may find no opportunity to shine if they are born in the wrong era. This shows the reality that ordinary people facing unfortunate circumstances is not unusual at all.
People use this proverb when explaining situations where talented individuals go unrewarded. It also offers comfort when someone faces hardship.
The expression acknowledges the harsh truth that effort and ability alone do not guarantee success. Yet it shows understanding that this is not the individual’s fault.
Even today, we can feel the depth of this proverb’s meaning. We see it when capable people go unrecognized or when someone’s talents do not match the times.
Origin and Etymology
The word “sage” in this proverb refers to an ideal person with the highest virtue in Confucianism.
In ancient China, sages like Yao, Shun, and Confucius were considered ideals. Everyone recognized their wisdom and virtue.
However, even such outstanding individuals did not always live in times that needed their talents.
This proverb is thought to originate from Chinese classics. Works like “Huainanzi” contain passages lamenting how excellent people were not blessed by their times.
From the Warring States period to the Han dynasty, many wise people tried to serve lords. Yet rulers of the time did not recognize them. They ended their lives without using their talents.
The phrase “may not meet their time” does not simply mean bad luck. It shows that forces beyond individual ability exist.
These include the demands of the era, social values, and the preferences of those in power. Without a “time” that needs and values them, even the greatest talents cannot bloom.
This proverb came to Japan along with Chinese classics. It became widely used among samurai and scholars.
Confucian scholars of the Edo period also quoted these words. They discussed the difficulty of appointing talented people and the role of timing in history.
Usage Examples
- He has wonderful skills, but even a sage may not meet their time—his current company does not appreciate him
- That researcher’s theory was too advanced to be understood, truly even a sage may not meet their time
Universal Wisdom
The proverb “Even a sage may not meet their time” points to a deep contradiction in human society.
We want to believe that “effort brings reward” and “ability leads to success.” Yet in reality, a great wall called “the times” sometimes stands between individual ability and success.
This truth has been passed down because many people have experienced this injustice. The pain of having talent but no recognition. The frustration of effort bearing no fruit. The helplessness of being tossed about by the times.
These feelings have occupied human hearts unchanged from ancient times to the present.
However, this proverb contains not just resignation but deep comfort as well. Misfortune is not necessarily your fault—it was just bad timing.
This understanding has the power to heal wounded hearts. Even sages face this, so you need not blame yourself.
At the same time, this proverb serves as a warning to the successful. Your current glory may be a gift not just of your ability but of fortunate timing.
Thinking this way helps you maintain humility and remember empathy for those less fortunate. The wisdom here is that human worth cannot be measured by the era’s evaluation alone.
When AI Hears This
Detecting talent has the same mathematical structure as radar detecting airplanes.
Radar must judge whether a dot on the screen is a “real airplane” or “noise.” Similarly, an era must judge whether a person is a “real genius” or “just an eccentric.”
The key point is an unavoidable trade-off. The stricter you make the judgment criteria, the better you eliminate fakes, but you also miss real talents.
For example, when an era is conservative and tries to recognize only “certainly excellent people,” the judgment threshold rises. Then false negatives increase statistically—real geniuses who get overlooked.
Conversely, lowering the threshold increases false positives—ordinary people getting evaluated as talented. Perfect detection is mathematically impossible.
Even more serious is the magnitude of “noise” emitted by the times. War, economic depression, and rigid existing values drastically worsen the signal-to-noise ratio.
This means that no matter how strong a talent signal someone emits, detection probability plummets if the era’s noise is large.
Van Gogh’s paintings did not sell during his lifetime not because his talent was weak. The art world of his time was a noise environment that completely drowned out his signal.
Human history may be a graveyard of undetected geniuses. Statistically speaking, many times more talents than those recorded in history likely vanished into darkness due to the limitations of the era as a detector.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us that not being valued and having no value are different things.
Even if you get no “likes” on social media or no recognition at work, your talent is not meaningless. The current environment may simply not need it yet.
What matters is how you spend difficult periods. Keep polishing yourself without becoming bitter.
When the times change or when you change your environment, the moment for your talent to shine will surely come.
Looking at history, countless artists and thinkers unappreciated in life were rediscovered by later generations.
At the same time, this proverb asks us for flexibility. We need the courage to adapt to the times and the curiosity to try new fields.
There is not just one place where your talents can flourish.
Above all, we should maintain humility. Whether someone is valued now or not is merely a matter of timing. Both the recognized and unrecognized should remember this.
Comments