Time is the father of truth, its mother is our mind.

The words of Giordano Bruno—“Time is the father of truth, its mother is our mind”—are like a flame that still burns across centuries, carrying both the weight of wisdom and the anguish of his fate. These words remind us that truth is not a sudden revelation dropped into our hands, but the child of two great forces: the unyielding march of time, and the fertile ground of the human mind. Only when both unite does truth emerge, fragile yet eternal, veiled yet radiant.

For time tests all things. Lies, however splendid, cannot withstand its steady gaze. Falsehood may flourish for a season, but as the years unfold, it crumbles like sand before the tide. Thus, time is the father—the stern, unrelenting force that shapes, judges, and exposes. Yet without the mind, truth remains hidden, like a seed buried deep. The mind, questioning, reflecting, daring to imagine beyond the veil, is the mother that nurtures truth into being. Together, they give birth to that which is unchanging, unbreakable, and eternal.

Bruno himself was a witness to this. In an age when dogma sought to silence inquiry, he dared to let his mind conceive of truths not yet accepted: that the universe was infinite, that countless worlds spun beyond our sight, that divinity stretched farther than men’s narrow doctrines. But his visions, though nourished by his mind, needed time to be vindicated. In his own lifetime, he was condemned, chained, and burned in the year 1600. His truths seemed like heresy. Yet centuries later, time unveiled him as a herald of the cosmos, a man who glimpsed truths that the world was not yet ready to bear.

Consider also the story of Galileo, who followed after Bruno. His telescope revealed the moons of Jupiter, evidence that Earth was not the center of all things. For daring to let his mind give birth to this truth, he too faced trial. But though his body was confined, time carried his discoveries beyond the reach of chains. Today, the truths he revealed shine as brightly as the stars he once observed. Here we see again that time, though slow, is the father that brings forth vindication, while the mind remains the mother that conceives what must eventually be born.

The meaning for us is profound. Many times, the truths of our own lives do not appear in a single moment. We must let time reveal what is hidden and allow our mind to seek, to question, to imagine. If we cling only to the comfort of what is immediate, we risk mistaking shadows for reality. But if we combine patience with deep reflection, we may bring forth truths that guide us not only in our personal journeys but in the shaping of our world.

The lesson is this: honor both patience and thought. Do not rush to claim as truth what has not been tested by time, nor neglect to use your mind to question what is given to you. Beware of the arrogance that demands instant answers; often, the most profound truths arrive slowly, like dawn breaking after a long night. The wise are those who prepare their minds to receive truth, then wait faithfully until time confirms it.

In practice, this means cultivating habits of reflection and endurance. Set aside moments each day to think, to question, to wonder. Read widely, listen deeply, and do not be afraid of ideas that challenge the comfort of convention. At the same time, embrace patience: allow your choices, your relationships, your dreams to ripen. Trust that if they are rooted in sincerity, time will reveal their truth. Remember always that falsehood withers, but truth, like a child of heaven and earth, will endure.

Thus, let Giordano Bruno’s words live within us: time is the father of truth, and mind is its mother. May we become guardians of both—bold in thought, patient in endurance—so that the truths of tomorrow may be born through us, and carried forward for generations yet to come.