'Tis thus we heed no instincts but our own;
Believe no evil till the evil's done.
• Book I (1668), fable 8.
Believe no evil till the evil's done.
• Book I (1668), fable 8.
“
Nous n'écoutons d'instincts que ceux qui sont les nôtres,
Et ne croyons le mal que quand il est venu.
— Jean de La Fontaine
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Nous n'écoutons d'instincts que ceux qui sont les nôtres,
Et ne croyons le mal que quand il est venu." in the context of "'Tis thus we heed no instincts but our own;
Believe no evil till the evil's done.
• Book I (1668), fable 8." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Jean de La Fontaine" (Quotes, Fables (1668–1679), Book I)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (July 8 1621 – April 13 1695) is a famous French fabulist and the most widely read French poet of the 17th century.
About Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (July 8 1621 – April 13 1695) is a famous French fabulist and the most widely read French poet of the 17th century.
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