Every indication of wisdom, taken from the effect, is equally an

Thomas Reid, father of the Scottish common-sense philosophy, proclaimed with clarity: “Every indication of wisdom, taken from the effect, is equally an indication of power to execute what wisdom planned.” In this teaching, he binds together two eternal truths: that wisdom is not mere thought, and that every design of the mind must be joined with power to bring it forth. For the evidence of true wisdom is not in plans alone, but in the effects that follow—effects which reveal that the hand was strong enough to fulfill what the mind conceived.

The meaning is profound. Too often men mistake fine words and lofty visions for wisdom, but Reid reminds us that wisdom must leave its mark in reality. If we see an effect that bears the order, harmony, and beauty of intelligence, we must also infer that the one who devised it had the power to execute it. Wisdom without power is a dream; power without wisdom is a disaster. True greatness is found only when the two are joined.

History itself testifies. Consider Leonardo da Vinci, whose genius overflowed with inventions, sketches, and insights centuries ahead of his time. Yet many of his designs remained unbuilt, for he lacked the resources or conditions to realize them. His wisdom was undeniable, but its effects incomplete. Contrast this with Thomas Edison, who coupled invention with relentless labor and practical force, turning ideas into lamps, phonographs, and machines that transformed daily life. In him we see Reid’s maxim fulfilled: wisdom proven in effects, and those effects proving also the power to execute.

Reid’s insight also bears a higher meaning. He was a philosopher who saw in the harmony of the natural world both wisdom and power—for the universe itself, in its order and laws, is the effect of a cause beyond human reach. To Reid, every tree, every star, every law of motion bore witness not only to design but to the power that brought design into being. Thus, his words echo not only in philosophy but in theology, where creation is seen as the union of infinite wisdom and infinite might.

Therefore, let the seeker learn this: do not be content with plans untested, nor with power ungoverned. Seek to wed the clarity of wisdom with the strength of action, so that the fruits of your labor may prove both your vision and your might. For the world judges not intentions but effects, and in those effects the wise are revealed as powerful, and the powerful as wise. To live by Reid’s counsel is to shape a life where thought and deed, plan and execution, shine together in harmony.