He who knows he who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool, shun him; He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child, teach him. He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep, wake him. He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise, follow him.
—Persian Proverb
Its quite true there’s a fool born every minute. It’s also quite true they don’t die that fast.
—Unknown
There are two kinds of fools: those who can’t change their opinions and those who won’t.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
He is mad past recovery, but yet he has lucid intervals.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
The world is full of fools; and he who would not wish to see one, must not only shut himself up alone, but must also break his looking-glass.
—Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux (1636–1711) French Poet, Satirist, Literary Critic
A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Flattery is never so agreeable as to our blind side; commend a fool for his wit, or a knave for his honesty, and they will receive you into their bosoms.
—Henry Fielding (1707–54) English Novelist, Dramatist
The entire world is my temple, and a very fine one too, if I’m not mistaken, and I’ll never lack priests to serve it as long as there are men.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
There are two fools in this world. One is the millionaire who thinks that by hoarding money he can somehow accumulate real power, and the other is the penniless reformer who thinks that if only he can take the money from one class and give it to another, all the world’s ills will be cured.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
The fool within himself is the object of pity, until he is flattered.
—Richard Steele (1672–1729) Irish Writer, Politician
A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
What the fool does in the end, the wise man does in the beginning.
—Spanish Proverb
The fool is not the man who merely does foolish things. The fool is the man who does not know enough to cash in on his foolishness.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
He is a fool that kisseth the maid when he may kiss the mistress.
—English Proverb
Fools are more to be feared than the wicked.
—Christina, Queen of Sweden (1626–89) Swedish Monarch
The folly of all follies is to be love sick for a shadow.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
There are no foolish questions, and no man becomes a fool until he has stopped asking questions.
—Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865–1923) German-born American Mathematician, Engineer
There are more fools than knaves in the world, else the knaves would not have enough to live upon.
—Samuel Butler
The dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
No one but a fool is always right.
—David Hare (b.1947) English Dramatist, Director, Film-Maker
Don’t approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side.
—Yiddish Proverb
A fool may be known by six things: anger, without cause; speech, without profit; change, without progress; inquiry without object; putting trust in a stranger, and mistaking foes for friends.
—Arabic Proverb
The biggest fool in the world is he who merely does his work supremely well, without attending to appearance.
—Michael Korda (b.1933) English-born Writer, Novelist
He who lives without folly isn’t so wise as he thinks.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his way.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
The world is full of fools and faint hearts; and yet everyone has courage enough to bear the misfortunes, and wisdom enough to manage the affairs of his neighbor.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one.
—Moliere (1622–73) French Playwright