proverb · Words worth keeping
The actual defects of work will only show when it is finished.
The actual defects of work will only show when it is finished.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Work’s defects said to appear only after completion give the finished result an important role in evaluation. The saying asks what the whole undertaking reveals.
What the words are saying
Only is too strong to establish a universal workflow rule: a responsible reading allows useful checks during progress. A final result can reveal issues not obvious in parts, but discovering a problem need not wait. Evaluation should inform correction rather than justify avoidable delay.
Everyday example
A team reviews both an early draft and the completed work instead of postponing every check until the end.
When to use it
Use it to value whole-result review alongside timely checks.
What it does not mean
No universal inability to identify problems before completion is established.
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
- Not established
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 453; PDF page 43; collection label: Middle East
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Middle East