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
Greatest fools are the most often satisfied.
—Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux (1636–1711) French Poet, Satirist, Literary Critic
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 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
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
A spoon does not know the taste of soup, nor a learned fool the taste of wisdom.
—Welsh Proverb
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
Fools are without number.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
A clever child brought up with a foolish one can itself become foolish. Man is so perfectible and corruptible he can become a fool through good sense.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
A fool at forty is a fool indeed.
—Common Proverb
Never argue with a stupid person. First they’ll drag you down to their level, then they will beat you with experience.
—Anonymous
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.
—Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865–1923) German-born American Mathematician, Engineer
Experience keeps a dear school; but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true, we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
People have no right to make fools of themselves, unless they have no relations to blush for them.
—Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796–1865) Canadian Author, Humorist, Businessperson, Judge
Colleges don’t make fools, they only develop them.
—George Horace Lorimer (1867–1937) American Editor, Publisher, Philanthropist
Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
A fool often fails because he thinks what is difficult is easy.
—John Churton Collins (1848–1908) English Literary Critic
It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Every fool finds a greater one to admire them.
—Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux (1636–1711) French Poet, Satirist, Literary Critic
If you wish to avoid seeing a fool you must first break your mirror.
—Francois Rabelais (1494–1553) French Humanist, Satirist
Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge.
—Thomas Brackett Reed (1839–1902) American Politician, Lawyer
A fool and his money are soon parted. The rest of us wait for tax time.
—Common Proverb
Those who wish to appear wise among fools among the wise seem foolish.
—Quintilian (c.35–c.100 CE) Roman Rhetorician, Literary Critic
However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him.
—Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux (1636–1711) French Poet, Satirist, Literary Critic
In all companies there are more fools than wise men, and the greater part always gets the better of the wiser.
—Francois Rabelais (1494–1553) French Humanist, Satirist
A mother takes twenty years to make a man of her boy, and another woman makes a fool of him in twenty minutes.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
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
He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
—Chinese Proverb
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