Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.

The words of Theodore Roosevelt, “Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time,” strike with the force of a bell tolling in the silence of night. Wisdom is not only knowing what is right, but knowing when to act upon it. A truth discovered too late is like a seed planted in barren soil—full of promise, but unable to take root. Thus, Roosevelt reminds us that true wisdom is measured not merely by knowledge, but by the timely application of it.

For the river of life does not wait for the hesitant. Opportunities pass as swiftly as eagles in flight, and danger descends as suddenly as the storm. To see clearly but fail to act in time is to watch the harvest wither in the field. The ancients said that fate favors the vigilant, those who are not only perceptive but prepared. A late decision, even if correct, may come to nothing. Therefore, wisdom must be sharpened into readiness, and readiness into action.

History offers a powerful witness to this truth. When Abraham Lincoln faced the gathering storm of the American Civil War, he hesitated at first to free the enslaved. Yet when he perceived the moment had come—when the nation’s heart was aflame with struggle—he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Had he delayed further, the cause might have faltered, and the Union might not have endured. His wisdom in time transformed not only a war but the destiny of a people.

Roosevelt himself lived by this creed. As a leader, he understood that delay in confronting corruption or in defending the weak was itself a form of surrender. His life roared with urgency, teaching that the moment to act is not tomorrow but the instant when justice or opportunity presents itself. In his vision, wisdom without timeliness was but a half-truth, a sword left rusting in its sheath.

Therefore, let this be taught to the generations: knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is rare, and rarer still is the wisdom that acts swiftly when the hour demands. Be not like the sailor who recognizes the storm yet fails to steer until it is too late. Be like the captain who trims his sails at the first sign of changing wind, and thus turns peril into triumph. For truly, nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.