Time makes fools of us all. Our only comfort is that greater

The words of E. T. Bell, mathematician and philosopher of time, strike with the weight of eternity: “Time makes fools of us all. Our only comfort is that greater shall come after us.” In this truth lies both the humbling of human pride and the uplifting promise of continuity. For time is the great equalizer, reducing the mighty and the weak alike to dust. Yet it is also the great giver, ensuring that the work of one generation becomes the foundation upon which the next shall rise.

The meaning is layered. First, time makes fools of us all, for no matter how wise or strong we imagine ourselves to be, the passing of days reveals our limits. The body withers, the mind slows, the proudest empires crumble, and even the brightest discoveries of today may be overturned by the knowledge of tomorrow. What seemed unshakable in one age becomes laughable in the next. This truth humbles us, teaching that no mortal is immune to the tide of time.

Yet Bell does not leave us in despair. He offers solace in the thought that though we fall, others shall surpass us. Progress is not the work of one life, but of countless lives linked together across the ages. Our only comfort is that the seeds we plant will grow into trees whose shade we may never rest beneath, but which will shelter those who come after us. Thus, though time unmasks our pride, it also grants us meaning—our labors become stepping stones toward something greater.

History gives us many shining examples. Consider the work of Isaac Newton, who once declared, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Newton himself knew that his brilliance was built upon the discoveries of those who came before him, and in turn, his work became the foundation for Einstein and countless others. Though time revealed Newton’s limits, it also revealed his place in the chain of greatness, where each generation prepares the way for the next.

So too in the rise and fall of civilizations. The glory of Greece yielded to Rome, Rome to Byzantium, and Byzantium to the empires of later ages. Each believed itself eternal, yet time made them fools, humbling their pride. Yet from their ashes sprang new worlds, new thoughts, and new creations. Thus, even in the ruin of the old, there is the promise of the new—greater shall come after us.

The lesson for us is both sobering and inspiring: do not cling to the illusion of permanence, for time strips all crowns and titles. Instead, live so that your work enriches the future. Accept that you will be surpassed, and rejoice in it, for it means that humanity advances, carried by the river of time. The wise man does not resist being overtaken, but takes comfort in knowing that he has played his part in the eternal march.

Practical actions follow this teaching. Work diligently in your field, whether humble or grand, knowing that you are laying foundations for others to build upon. Do not despair when your achievements are forgotten, for their essence lives on in the progress they inspired. Teach, share, and plant seeds of wisdom in those who follow, for they are the vessels through which your legacy will endure. Accept the mockery of time, but also embrace its gift of renewal.

So remember, children of tomorrow: time makes fools of us all, stripping away illusions of permanence. Yet in its relentless flow, it carries the greatness of each age into the next. Do not fear being outshone—rejoice that you were part of the dawn that made the day possible. For though time humbles us, it also ensures that humanity ascends, and that greater shall come after us.