Time is the wisest counselor of all.

Attributed to the Athenian statesman Pericles, the saying frames time as a superior adviser compared with human counselors. Its point is pragmatic: decisions made in haste are often distorted by passion, fear, or incomplete information, whereas the passage of time clarifies consequences, reveals character, and allows events to supply evidence that argument alone cannot. The aphorism also implies humility in governance and personal judgment—recognizing limits to foresight and the value of patience. In political terms, it can be read as counsel to let policies and conflicts be tested by outcomes rather than rhetoric, trusting that durable truth and sound strategy become clearer as circumstances unfold.