Time has a way of demonstrating that the most stubborn are the

“Time has a way of demonstrating that the most stubborn are the most intelligent.” Thus proclaimed Yevgeny Yevtushenko, the Russian poet whose voice rose against tyranny and silence alike. In this utterance, he reveals a paradox that only the ages can prove: what appears to be mere obstinacy in the present may, when tested by the unfolding of years, reveal itself as profound wisdom. For those who cling with tenacity to their vision, their truth, or their cause often endure ridicule and scorn, yet in the slow march of time, their steadfastness is vindicated.

The origin of this saying is rooted in Yevtushenko’s own life. He lived and wrote under the iron weight of Soviet rule, when conformity was safety and dissent was peril. To speak truth was to risk exile, imprisonment, or worse. Yet Yevtushenko, with poetic boldness, refused to bend. His stubbornness was not the pride of ego but the resolve of conscience. And in later years, when the tides of history shifted, his persistence was revealed as intelligence, for he had understood before many others that silence would destroy the soul of a nation.

History abounds with such figures. Consider Galileo Galilei, who stood firm in declaring that the earth revolves around the sun. To his persecutors, his insistence seemed stubbornness, arrogance against tradition and authority. Yet centuries later, his resolve shines as intelligence—a light for all mankind, proving that truth bows neither to the decrees of rulers nor the clamor of the crowd. It was time that unmasked his obstinacy as brilliance.

Likewise, the tale of Winston Churchill illustrates this truth. In the years before the Second World War, when many leaders sought appeasement with Hitler, Churchill stood as a lone voice, decried as obstinate, even dangerous. Yet his refusal to bend to delusion, his stubbornness in warning against tyranny, proved to be the salvation of his nation. When the storm of war broke, it was his voice that rallied Britain, and his persistence that secured their survival. Time revealed that what many had mocked as inflexibility was, in truth, foresight and intelligence.

Yet, we must not mistake all stubbornness as noble. There is a stubbornness born of pride and folly, which clings to error and resists correction. Such stubbornness leads only to ruin. But there is another kind—the stubbornness rooted in principle, in truth, in the unwillingness to betray what is right. This is the stubbornness Yevtushenko speaks of, for it is the kind that time itself vindicates, when all illusions fall away and only truth remains.

The lesson for us is profound: do not fear to be called stubborn when you stand for what is just and true. The crowd may jeer, the powerful may scorn, and even friends may doubt. But if your cause is righteous and your vision clear, hold fast. Let time be your ally, for it alone has the power to reveal the hidden wisdom in your persistence.

Practical actions flow from this wisdom. Stand firm in your convictions, even when it costs you comfort. Do not yield to the easy path of conformity when your heart knows it is false. Study deeply, discern carefully, and then hold steadfastly to the truth you have found. In the moment, you may be called obstinate, arrogant, or blind. But let the years pass, and you may find, as Yevtushenko promised, that time itself will proclaim you not a fool, but one of the truly intelligent.

So let his words be etched upon your heart: “Time has a way of demonstrating that the most stubborn are the most intelligent.” Endure the scorn of the present, if you must, for the judgment of time is worth far more than the applause of the moment. Be steadfast, be unyielding in truth, and you will find that what begins as stubbornness ends as wisdom.