I am always afraid of a fool; one cannot be sure he is not a knave.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Only intuition can protect you from the most dangerous individual of all, the articulate incompetent.
—Robert L. Bernstein (1923–2019) American Publisher, Human Rights Activist
The fool has set in his heart that he can get more money through the tiring of his muscle and the starvation of his brain-but he can’t.
—William D. Hoard (1836–1918) American Elected Rep
Fools with bookish knowledge, are children with edged weapons, they hurt themselves, and put others in pain.—The half-leamed is more dangerous than the simpleton.
—Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann (1728–1795) Swiss Philosophical Writer, Naturalist, Physician
The company of fools may first make us smile, but in the end we always feel melancholy.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
A fool often fails because he thinks what is difficult is easy.
—John Churton Collins (1848–1908) English Literary Critic
It never occurs to fools that merit and good fortune are closely united.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
There is no greater fool than he that says, “There is no God,” unless it be the one who says he does not know whether there is one or not.
—Otto von Bismarck (1815–98) German Chancellor, Prime Minister
Fortune, to show us her power, and abate our presumption, seeing she could not make fools wise, has made them fortunate.
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–92) French Essayist
If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
People do not wish to appear foolish; to avoid the appearance of foolishness, they are willing to remain actually fools.
—Alice Walker (b.1944) American Novelist, Activist
If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
In life, each of us must sometimes play the fool.
—Yiddish Proverb
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
Fools build houses, and wise men buy them.
—English Proverb
There are more fools than knaves in the world, else the knaves would not have enough to live upon.
—Samuel Butler
I was young and foolish then; now I am old and foolisher.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Folly is perennial and yet the human race has survived.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
There are many more fools in the world than there are knaves, otherwise the knaves could not exist.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
Incredulity is the wisdom of the fool.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
A fine quotation is a diamond on the finger of a man of wit, and a pebble in the hand of a fool.
—Philibert Joseph Roux (1780–1854) French Surgeon
A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one.
—Moliere (1622–73) French Playwright
Send a fool to close the shutters and he’ll close them all over town.
—Yiddish Proverb
Most fools think they are only ignorant.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Never argue with a stupid person. First they’ll drag you down to their level, then they will beat you with experience.
—Anonymous
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
One never needs their humor as much as when they argue with a fool.
—Chinese Proverb
It takes more than a wise man to keep track of a foolish woman.
—Minna Antrim (1861–1950) American Writer, Epigrammist
Leave a Reply