Ridicule is the first and last argument of fools.
—Charles Simmons (1924–2017) American Editor, Novelist
A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
There is a foolish corner even in the brain of the sage.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
A spoon does not know the taste of soup, nor a learned fool the taste of wisdom.
—Welsh Proverb
Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
The fool is always beginning to live.
—Common Proverb
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
—Chinese Proverb
He who lives without folly isn’t so wise as he thinks.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
He who is born a fool is never cured
—Common Proverb
Wisdom and foolishness are practically the same. Both are indifferent to the opinions of the world
—Joseph Campbell (1904–87) American Mythologist, Writer, Lecturer
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
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
He is mad past recovery, but yet he has lucid intervals.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
In short, no association or alliance can be happy or stable without me. People can’t long tolerate a ruler, nor can a master his servant, a maid her mistress, a teacher his pupil, a friend his friend nor a wife her husband, a landlord his tenant, a soldier his comrade nor a party-goer his companion, unless they sometimes have illusions about each other, make use of flattery, and have the sense to turn a blind eye and sweeten life for themselves with the honey of folly.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans: it’s lovely to be silly at the right moment.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
The dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
To be a man’s own fool is bad enough; but the vain man is everybody’s.
—William Penn (1644–1718) American Entrepreneur, Political leader, Philosopher
Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A fool often fails because he thinks what is difficult is easy.
—John Churton Collins (1848–1908) English Literary Critic
An erudite fool is a greater fool than an ignorant fool.
—Moliere (1622–73) French Playwright
Pain and foolishness lead to great bliss and complete knowledge, for Eternal Wisdom created nothing under the sun in vain.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
Art is the most passionate orgy within man’s grasp.
—John Donne (1572–1631) English Poet, Cleric
When we are born we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
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
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
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
Never argue with a stupid person. First they’ll drag you down to their level, then they will beat you with experience.
—Anonymous
Send a fool to close the shutters and he’ll close them all over town.
—Yiddish Proverb
Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
There are two kinds of fools. One says, “This is old, therefore it is good”. The other says, “This is new, therefore it is better”.
—William Ralph Inge (1860–1954) English Anglican Clergyman, Priest, Mystic
He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
A fool can no more see his own folly than he can see his ears.
—William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–63) English Novelist
Where lives the man that has not tried how mirth can into folly glide, and folly into sin!
—Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Lawyer
He who laughs at everything is as big a fool as he who weeps at everything.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
I was young and foolish then; now I am old and foolisher.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
The fool needs company, the wise solitude.
—Friedrich Ruckert (1788–1866) German Poet, Translator
It has been said that there is no fool like an old fool, except a young fool. But the young fool has first to grow up to be an old fool to realize what a damn fool he was when he was a young fool.
—Harold Macmillan (1894–1986) British Head of State
A fool is like the big drum that beats fast but does not realize its hollowness
—Malaysian Proverb
Don’t approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back, or a fool from any side.
—Yiddish Proverb
Nothing is more intolerable than a prosperous fool; and hence we see men who, at one time, were affable and agreeable, completely changed by prosperity, despising old friends and clinging to new.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
A foolish man is always doing, yet much remains to be done.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Any fool can make a rule, and every fool will mind it.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
It never occurs to fools that merit and good fortune are closely united.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
It is rude to silence a fool, and cruelty to let him go on.
—Indian Proverb
Sometimes a fool has talent, but never judgment.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
One never needs their humor as much as when they argue with a fool.
—Chinese Proverb
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
—Unknown
The folly of all follies is to be love sick for a shadow.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
Young people tell what they are doing, old people what they have done and fools what they wish to do.
—French Proverb