Saint Nicolas Cabasilas on maturity as condition for fruitfulness

The post presents a short saying in French attributed to Saint Nicolas Cabasilas. The saying opens with an observation about trees: their fruits indicate their vigor. It then states a natural constraint: before a tree reaches maturity, nature does not give it the capacity to produce fruits.

The saying then draws a parallel with human life using the phrase "De même" (similarly). It asserts that no man is good for others if he is not first good toward himself. The comparison equates the tree's maturity with a person's goodness toward himself, and the tree's fruits with a person's goodness toward others.

The logic implies that a proper ordering exists: inner condition precedes outer effect. The text does not elaborate on what constitutes maturity for a human being, nor does it describe the kinds of fruits that follow. It does not reference a specific scriptural passage or patristic work.

The attribution identifies the author as Saint Nicolas Cabasilas, but the post gives no further biographical or historical detail. The language of the original post is French. The saying functions as a standalone moral aphorism that uses a natural analogy to express a principle of spiritual priority.