cultivating talent takes generations; nurturing people requires patience
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesproverb
it takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate people; cultivating talent is a long-term endeavor requiring great patience and effort
literaryoriginates from the Guanzi (《管子•权修》): “十年之计，莫如树木；终身之计，莫如树人” (For a ten-year plan, nothing is better than planting trees; for a lifetime plan, nothing is better than cultivating people). It is often used to emphasize the long-term nature of education and the difficulty of nurturing capable individuals.
It takes ten years to grow trees but a hundred years to cultivate people; education concerns the future of the nation and requires sustained commitment.
Cultivating an outstanding scientist takes a very long time; truly, it takes a hundred years to nurture talent.
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We must have patience in running schools, for it takes ten years to grow trees and a hundred years to cultivate people.