proverb · Legacy record
Slander cannot destroy an honest man; when the flood recedes the rock is there.
Slander cannot destroy an honest man; when the flood recedes the rock is there.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An honest person compared with a rock remaining after a flood portrays integrity surviving slander. The image offers reassurance about enduring character.
What the words are saying
Cannot is stronger than the metaphor can establish: false accusations can have serious consequences. A useful reading values integrity while allowing correction, support and necessary responses to harm. Endurance does not require accepting mistreatment in silence.
Everyday example
Someone supports a falsely accused colleague and helps correct the record rather than relying on time alone.
When to use it
Use this as an editorial reading of the source image, with its stated limits retained.
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What it does not mean
Slander can cause harm; honesty does not guarantee reputational protection.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 314; PDF page 33; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China