--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time often serves to justify a deed which…" description: "\"Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.\" — Donald P. Ryan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/donald-p-ryan-233375_deed_time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-whic_3318.jpg" --- # Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first… ![“Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.” quote by Donald P. Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/donald-p-ryan-233375_deed_time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-whic_3318.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/donald-p-ryan-233375_deed_time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-whic_3318.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/donald-p-ryan-233375_deed_time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-whic_3318.jpg) > “Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.” Donald P. Ryan ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time can later rationalize actions that initially seemed immoral. **In simple terms:** Time justifies past deeds. Key Takeaway Reflect on moral choices before time erodes judgment. Themes morality time justification reflection ethics Mood contemplative critical uncertain Type Deed:1 Deeds:1 Firsts:0 Justice:1 Justify:1 Seems:0 Unjustifiable:1 Deed Unjustifiable:1 Justify Deed:1 Serves Justify:0 When to use this quote - legal decisions - personal reflection - historical analysis Key Concepts rationalization memory distortion ethical hindsight Questions to Reflect On - What deeds do you now see as justified? - How does hindsight alter moral perception? A Different Perspective Time may be used to excuse harmful behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) ## Related quotes > [“May good prevail, and justify my deed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/may-good-prevail-and-justify-my-deed/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [falsehood is not more unjustifiable than unsafe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-burney/falsehood-is-not-more-unjustifiable-than-unsafe/) [Fanny Burney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-burney/) > [“The notion that human life has greater value than any other form of life is both unjustifiable and arrogant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wei-wu-wei/the-notion-that-human-life-has-greater-value-than-any-other-form-of/) [Wei Wu Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wei-wu-wei/) > [Force when aggressively applied is "violence" and is, therefore, morally unjustifiable, but when it is used in the furtherance of a legitimate cause, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-singh/force-when-aggressively-applied-is-violence-and-is-therefore-morally/) [Bhagat Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagat-singh/) > [Violence is both unavoidable and unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/violence-is-both-unavoidable-and-unjustifiable/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The education cuts in the President's budget are both irresponsible and morally unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaka-fattah/the-education-cuts-in-the-president-s-budget-are-both-irresponsible/) [Chaka Fattah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaka-fattah/) > [For those who fancy that government's projects are uniquely important, or for those who imagine that holding government office makes someone unusually saintly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-j-boudreaux/for-those-who-fancy-that-government-s-projects-are-uniquely-important/) [Donald J. Boudreaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-j-boudreaux/) > [The act is unjustifiable that either begs for a blessing, or, having succeeded gives no thanksgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/the-act-is-unjustifiable-that-either-begs-for-a-blessing-or-having/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Whereas, Slavery, throughout its entire existence in the United States is none other than a most barbarous, unprovoked, and unjustifiable War of one portion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brown/whereas-slavery-throughout-its-entire-existence-in-the-united-states/) [John Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brown/) > [The production of fuel from basic food commodities is, in fact, unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/the-production-of-fuel-from-basic-food-commodities-is-in-fact/) [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva/) > [A man who is wise in speech but not in deeds is not wise for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-man-who-is-wise-in-speech-but-not-in-deeds-is-not-wise-for-me/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [If you see a guy opening a car door for a girl, its one of two things, either a new girl, or a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-armenta/if-you-see-a-guy-opening-a-car-door-for-a-girl-its-one-of-two-things/) Jorge Armenta > [One good deed will lead to thousands more of blessings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-good-deed-will-lead-to-thousands-more-of-blessings/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be sure to do your duty today, and let God Take care of the outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-sure-to-do-your-duty-today-and-let-god-take-care-of-the-outcome/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I discovered that everything you do is in response to a request or a suggestion made to you by some other party either inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flann-o-brien/i-discovered-that-everything-you-do-is-in-response-to-a-request-or-a/) [Flann O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flann-o-brien/) ## More Deed quotes > [“I discovered that everything you do is in response to a request or a suggestion made to you by some other party either inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flann-o-brien/i-discovered-that-everything-you-do-is-in-response-to-a-request-or-a/) [Flann O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flann-o-brien/) > [Be sure to do your duty today, and let God Take care of the outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-sure-to-do-your-duty-today-and-let-god-take-care-of-the-outcome/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One good deed will lead to thousands more of blessings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-good-deed-will-lead-to-thousands-more-of-blessings/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you see a guy opening a car door for a girl, its one of two things, either a new girl, or a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-armenta/if-you-see-a-guy-opening-a-car-door-for-a-girl-its-one-of-two-things/) Jorge Armenta > [A man who is wise in speech but not in deeds is not wise for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-man-who-is-wise-in-speech-but-not-in-deeds-is-not-wise-for-me/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [A good deed is not just a duty, but above all, a privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/a-good-deed-is-not-just-a-duty-but-above-all-a-privilege/) [Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/) > [Not really what you can do, others can either. 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Thus, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/our-everyday-cares-making-a-living-the-crazy-rat-race-of-life-often/) [Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/) > [For even in dreams a good deed is not lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-calder-n-de-la-barca/for-even-in-dreams-a-good-deed-is-not-lost/) [Pedro Calderon de la Barca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-calder-n-de-la-barca/) Browse all 281 Deed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald P. 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