Hindsight is always twenty-twenty

Posted by Al on July 23, 2004

In Reply to: Hindsight is always twenty-twenty posted by James Briggs on July 23, 2004

: : Can you guys tell me the origin of this idiom?Actually I'm not sure if it's an idiom. I picked it up from a web .I forgot to copy the context.

: This comes from eye testing. Perfect vision is defined as 20/20. Thus, hindsight, which produces 'perfect' vision of the past, can be so described.

I find it curious that this phrase which is [b]so often used[/b], especially by persons talking, is so factually incorrect. As a matter of fact hindsight is only occasionally 'perfect'. Often hindsight somewhat better than foresight but hindsight it only occasionally approaches 'perfect'.

• Hindsight is always twenty-twenty Platypus 23/July/04
  • Hindsight is always twenty-twenty ESC 23/July/04