2020

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hindsight is (always) 20/20

It is easier to clearly reevaluate past actions or decisions than when they are being made or done; things are clearer or more obvious when they are reflected upon. A reference to the visual acuity of normal eyesight (20/20 vision). I can see now that having my brother as my legal counsel was unwise, but I guess hindsight is always 20/20. A: "I can't believe I was ever interested in such a self-absorbed jerk." B: "Don't blame yourself. Hindsight is 20/20, after all."

See also: 20, hindsight

with 20/20 hindsight

With the benefit of one's current knowledge or experience, thus allowing them to see why something in the past was wrong or how some mistake could have been avoided. Said when examining some negative past event retrospectively. Often written as "with twenty-twenty hindsight." I spent my whole life working, almost every minute of every day. Now, with 20-20 hindsight at the end of my life, I see that I squandered the time I could have been spending with my family. Of course, with 20-20 hindsight, it's easy to laugh at the quack doctors of the early 19th century, but back then, even legitimate medicine was still largely rooted in superstition and pseudoscience.

See also: 20, hindsight

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.