Fool Quotes | Beyond Motive

top of page

Fool Quotes

"The wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite."

"The wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite."

Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher

Fool, Fools, Majority

94

"It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak."

"It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak."

Neil Gaiman, British Author

91

"You think I am a fool, but you are a greater fool than I am."

"You think I am a fool, but you are a greater fool than I am."

Sitting Bull, Lakotan Statesman

90

"The wise man does at once what the fool does finally."

"The wise man does at once what the fool does finally."

Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian Writer

77

"Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything."

"Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything."

Frank Dane, American Humorist

76

"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."

"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

75

"The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month."

"The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month."

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian Novelist

Fool, Man, Opinion

71

"Fools are without number."

"Fools are without number."

Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch Philosopher

71

"I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should seem a fool, but be wise."

"I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should seem a fool, but be wise."

Charles de Montesquieu, French Philosopher

Fool, Succeed, World

71

"Never was patriot yet, but was a fool."

"Never was patriot yet, but was a fool."

John Dryden, English Poet

67

"The silliest woman can manage a clever man; but it needs a very clever woman to manage a fool."

"The silliest woman can manage a clever man; but it needs a very clever woman to manage a fool."

Rudyard Kipling, English Writer

Fool, Man, Needs, Woman

67

"The wise does at once what the fool does at last."

"The wise does at once what the fool does at last."

Baltasar Gracian, Spanish Philosopher

64

"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves."

"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves."

Lord Byron, British Poet

Fool, Fools, Reason, Will

64

"Take all the fools out of this world and there wouldn't be any fun living in it, or profit."

"Take all the fools out of this world and there wouldn't be any fun living in it, or profit."

Josh Billings, American Comedian

Fool, Fools, Fun, Living, Profit

63

"To speak and to speak well, are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks."

"To speak and to speak well, are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks."

Ben Jonson, English Poet

Fool, Man, May, Talk

62

"Even a fool knows you can't touch the stars, but it won't keep the wise from trying."

"Even a fool knows you can't touch the stars, but it won't keep the wise from trying."

Harry Anderson, American Actor

Fool, Stars, Trying

62

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."

Bruce Lee, American Actor

Fool, Man, Question

61

"Let that which stood in front go behind, let that which was behind advance to the front, let bigots, fools, unclean persons, offer new propositions, let the old propositions be postponed."

"Let that which stood in front go behind, let that which was behind advance to the front, let bigots, fools, unclean persons, offer new propositions, let the old propositions be postponed."

Walt Whitman, American Poet

Fool, Fools, Old

61

"He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master."

"He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master."

Ben Jonson, English Poet

61

"When the second record came out, they started calling it The Band. I voted to call it The Crackers. I'm no fool."

"When the second record came out, they started calling it The Band. I voted to call it The Crackers. I'm no fool."

Levon Helm, American Musician

60

"The greatest misfortune of the wise man and the greatest unhappiness of the fool are based upon convention."

"The greatest misfortune of the wise man and the greatest unhappiness of the fool are based upon convention."

Franz Schubert, Austrian Composer

Fool, Man, Misfortune, Unhappiness

60

"He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave."

"He who will not reason, is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave."

William Drummond, British Poet

Fool, Reason, Will

59

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish."

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Fool, Sense, Talk

59

"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom."

"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom."

Roald Dahl, British Novelist

Fool, Freedom, Writer

58

"Many a man is praised for his reserve and so-called shyness when he is simply too proud to risk making a fool of himself."

"Many a man is praised for his reserve and so-called shyness when he is simply too proud to risk making a fool of himself."

J. B. Priestley, British Writer

Fool, Man, Risk, Shyness

58

"It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere."

"It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere."

Voltaire, French Writer

58

"I don't fool with a lot of things that I can't have fun with. There's not much reward in that."

"I don't fool with a lot of things that I can't have fun with. There's not much reward in that."

Levon Helm, American Musician

Fool, Fun, Reward

58

"A fool and his words are soon parted."

"A fool and his words are soon parted."

William Shenstone, English Poet

58

"The fellow that agrees with everything you say is either a fool or he is getting ready to skin you."

"The fellow that agrees with everything you say is either a fool or he is getting ready to skin you."

Kin Hubbard, American Journalist

58

"He who hesitates is a damned fool."

"He who hesitates is a damned fool."

Mae West, American Actress

57

"A fool flatters himself, a wise man flatters the fool."

"A fool flatters himself, a wise man flatters the fool."

Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton, British Novelist

56

"I would be a fool to deny my own abilities."

"I would be a fool to deny my own abilities."

Julie Andrews, English Actress

56

"The fool wanders, a wise man travels."

"The fool wanders, a wise man travels."

Thomas Fuller, English Clergyman

55

"You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job."

"You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job."

Laurence J. Peter, Canadian Writer

55

"You may be able to fool the voters, but not the atmosphere."

"You may be able to fool the voters, but not the atmosphere."

Donella Meadows, American Environmentalist

55

"Fool that I was, upon my eagle's wings I bore this wren, till I was tired with soaring, and now he mounts above me."

"Fool that I was, upon my eagle's wings I bore this wren, till I was tired with soaring, and now he mounts above me."

John Dryden, English Poet

55

"The fool shouts loudly, thinking to impress the world."

"The fool shouts loudly, thinking to impress the world."

Marie de France, French Poet

Fool, Thinking, World

54

"A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees."

"A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees."

William Blake, English Poet

54

"The haste of a fool is the slowest thing in the world."

"The haste of a fool is the slowest thing in the world."

Thomas Shadwell, English Dramatist

Fool, Haste, World

53

"Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes."

"Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes."

Earl Derr Biggers, American Novelist

Fool, Fools, Man

53

"The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool."

"The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool."

Epicurus, Greek Philosopher

Fool, Misfortune, Prosperity

53

"Who is more foolish? The fool or the fool that follows it?"

"Who is more foolish? The fool or the fool that follows it?"

Alec Guinness, English Actor

53

"Be wise with speed; a fool at forty is a fool indeed."

"Be wise with speed; a fool at forty is a fool indeed."

Edward Young, English Poet

52

"He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; and he that dares not reason is a slave."

"He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; and he that dares not reason is a slave."

William Drummond, British Poet

Fool, Reason, Will

52

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Jim Elliot, American Clergyman

52

"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself a fool."

"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself a fool."

Anatole France, French Novelist

52

"In the days of Caesar, kings had fools and jesters. Now network presidents have anchormen."

"In the days of Caesar, kings had fools and jesters. Now network presidents have anchormen."

Ted Koppel, American Journalist

Fool, Fools, Kings, Network, Now

51

"The fools ran after me and I ran after the whores, foolish though I realized such a proceeding to be."

"The fools ran after me and I ran after the whores, foolish though I realized such a proceeding to be."

C. S. Forester, English Novelist

50

"That's one of the peculiar things about bad moods - we often fool ourselves and create misery by telling ourselves things that simply are not true."

"That's one of the peculiar things about bad moods - we often fool ourselves and create misery by telling ourselves things that simply are not true."

David D. Burns, American Writer

Fool, Misery, Moods

49

"No one but a fool is always right."

"No one but a fool is always right."

David Hare, English Playwright

49

bottom of page