Fool Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Fool Quotes

"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

76

"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

73

"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

61

"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

58

"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

57

"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

55

"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

54

"Fools are without number."

"Fools are without number."

Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch Philosopher

53

"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

53

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

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

John Dryden, English Poet

50

"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

50

"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

49

"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

48

"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

48

"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

46

"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

45

"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

45

"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

45

"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

44

"The fool wanders, a wise man travels."

"The fool wanders, a wise man travels."

Thomas Fuller, English Clergyman

43

"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

43

"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

43

"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

43

"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

42

"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

42

"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

42

"A fool and his words are soon parted."

"A fool and his words are soon parted."

William Shenstone, English Poet

42

"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

41

"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

41

"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

41

"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

40

"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

40

"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

40

"He who hesitates is a damned fool."

"He who hesitates is a damned fool."

Mae West, American Actress

40

"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

40

"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

40

"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

39

"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

39

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

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

Julie Andrews, English Actress

39

"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

39

"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

39

"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

38

"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

38

"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

38

"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

38

"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

37

"When we are born we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools."

"When we are born we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools."

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

37

"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

35

"A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times."

"A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times."

Lord Acton, British Historian

35

"No one but a fool is always right."

"No one but a fool is always right."

David Hare, English Playwright

35

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