hindsight is 20/20

English

Etymology

From the term 20/20 referring to normal visual acuity.

Proverb

hindsight is 20/20

1. (idiomatic) In hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset; one is able to evaluate past choices more clearly than at the time of the choice.

Related terms

• twenty-twenty hindsight

Translations

in hindsight things are obvious that were not obvious from the outset

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 吃一堑，长一智 (cmn) (chīyīqiàn，zhǎngyīzhì) (lit: falling in a moat makes you all the wiser)

• Czech: po bitvě je každý generál (cs)
• Finnish: jälkiviisaus (fi) on (fi) helppoa (fi)

• Norwegian: det er lett å være etterpåklok (no)
• Polish: mądry Polak po szkodzie (pl) (lit: Pole is wise after damage)
• Russian: задним умом всяк крепок (ru) (zádnim umóm vsjak krépok) (everyone is strong by one's hindmind)
• Swedish: efterklokhet (sv), det är lätt att vara efterklok (sv)