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

来源: 移花接木 于 2025-08-10 06:49:43 [] [博客] [旧帖] [给我悄悄话] 阅读数 : (1287 bytes)
本帖于 2025-08-10 06:50:12 时间, 由版主 移花接木 编辑

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.

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• truesome. but 1 needs 2collect less if keepThatLong. mySon -最西边的岛上- ♀ 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 07:03:25

• liked 2 collect "things" when young, so I kept throwing -最西边的岛上- ♀ 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (317 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 07:10:19

• Great to learn Scott's wisdom and, again, the Chinese was -7grizzly- ♂ 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 08:18:27

• way ahead: 常善救物，故无弃物。 -7grizzly- ♂ 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 08:18:45

• Ahhh, that reminds me of 卞和与和氏璧 story !! -最西边的岛上- ♀ 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 08:40:31

• Need to look up. I've forgotten it already :-) -7grizzly- ♂ 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 09:09:53

• me2 :-). that & 完璧归赵 story told by C-teacher in high School -最西边的岛上- ♀ 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 10:06:54

• 我正在断舍离捐掉，发现有衣服标签还没摘～ 不过捐了之后也会物有所值：） -妖妖灵- ♀ 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 11:53:11

• I go to the ends of the earth唱了这首，你就不用go to the ends of the -妖妖灵- ♀ 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 11:54:58

• earth听到这首了： -妖妖灵- ♀ 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (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- ♀ 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 12:47:25

• Or donated,turning trash into someone‘s treasure:) -暖冬cool夏- ♀ 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 13:03:56

• APAD: one man's toxic sludge is another man's potpourri :-)) -最西边的岛上- ♀ 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 14:14:11

• Haha, I won't show this to my husband. -天边一片白云- ♀ 给 天边一片白云 发送悄悄话 天边一片白云 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 13:59:36

• He likes keeping junk. -天边一片白云- ♀ 给 天边一片白云 发送悄悄话 天边一片白云 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 14:00:23

• hahaha, throw/hide them away (but keep him pls ;-)) -最西边的岛上- ♀ 给 最西边的岛上 发送悄悄话 最西边的岛上 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 08/10/2025 postreply 14:09:43

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