APAD: Keep a thing 7 years and you will find a use for it

本帖於 2025-08-10 06:50:12 時間, 由版主 移花接木 編輯

Keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it, 

— a quote attributed to Walter Scott

This is a proverb that suggests that one should hold onto things that may not seem useful at the moment. With time, the item may become valuable or necessary.  It suggests that holding onto something for a significant amount of time increases the likelihood of needing or finding a purpose for it. 

This proverb is a reminder to be resourceful and not too quick to discard items, as they could potentially be valuable in the future. It reflects a mindset of patience and long-term thinking when it comes to possessions. 

“If you keep a thing seven years, you are sure to find a use for it”, Walter Scott wrote these words back in 1826 way before popular culture got its hands on the notion of seven years as a significant milestone, and it continues to resonate today.   It is believed to be rooted in European folk wisdom. It highlights that patience and time can help reveal the true worth of an item or resource. This proverb suggests that it is wise not to discard things hastily, as circumstances may change, and what seems unimportant now could be needed in the future.

所有跟帖: 

truesome. but 1 needs 2collect less if keepThatLong. mySon -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 07:03:25

liked 2 collect "things" when young, so I kept throwing -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (317 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 07:10:19

Great to learn Scott's wisdom and, again, the Chinese was -7grizzly- 給 7grizzly 發送悄悄話 7grizzly 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 08:18:27

way ahead: 常善救物,故無棄物。 -7grizzly- 給 7grizzly 發送悄悄話 7grizzly 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 08:18:45

Ahhh, that reminds me of 卞和與和氏璧 story !! -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 08:40:31

Need to look up. I've forgotten it already :-) -7grizzly- 給 7grizzly 發送悄悄話 7grizzly 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 09:09:53

me2 :-). that & 完璧歸趙 story told by C-teacher in high School -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 10:06:54

我正在斷舍離捐掉,發現有衣服標簽還沒摘~ 不過捐了之後也會物有所值:) -妖妖靈- 給 妖妖靈 發送悄悄話 妖妖靈 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 11:53:11

I go to the ends of the earth唱了這首,你就不用go to the ends of the -妖妖靈- 給 妖妖靈 發送悄悄話 妖妖靈 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 11:54:58

earth聽到這首了: -妖妖靈- 給 妖妖靈 發送悄悄話 妖妖靈 的博客首頁 (5426 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 11:55:18

True! It also runs counter to those that end up thrown away -暖冬cool夏- 給 暖冬cool夏 發送悄悄話 暖冬cool夏 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 12:47:25

Or donated,turning trash into someone‘s treasure:) -暖冬cool夏- 給 暖冬cool夏 發送悄悄話 暖冬cool夏 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 13:03:56

APAD: one man's toxic sludge is another man's potpourri :-)) -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 14:14:11

Haha, I won't show this to my husband. -天邊一片白雲- 給 天邊一片白雲 發送悄悄話 天邊一片白雲 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 13:59:36

He likes keeping junk. -天邊一片白雲- 給 天邊一片白雲 發送悄悄話 天邊一片白雲 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 14:00:23

hahaha, throw/hide them away (but keep him pls ;-)) -最西邊的島上- 給 最西邊的島上 發送悄悄話 最西邊的島上 的博客首頁 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 14:09:43

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