Fool Quotes | Beyond Motive 2/3

top of page

Fool Quotes

"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

57

"A fellow who is always declaring he's no fool usually has his suspicions."

"A fellow who is always declaring he's no fool usually has his suspicions."

Wilson Mizner, American Dramatist

57

"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

56

"No one but a fool is always right."

"No one but a fool is always right."

David Hare, English Playwright

56

"The man who has everything figured out is probably a fool."

"The man who has everything figured out is probably a fool."

Jerome Lawrence, American Playwright

52

"The mistakes of the fool are known to the world, but not to himself. The mistakes of the wise man are known to himself, but not to the world."

"The mistakes of the fool are known to the world, but not to himself. The mistakes of the wise man are known to himself, but not to the world."

Charles Caleb Colton, English Writer

Fool, Man, Mistakes, World

52

"But go on, valiant champion; you die not as a fool, though the apostate, unfaithful, and lukewarm ministers and professors of this generation think and say so."

"But go on, valiant champion; you die not as a fool, though the apostate, unfaithful, and lukewarm ministers and professors of this generation think and say so."

Donald Cargill, Scottish Clergyman

51

"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

51

"When I was much younger, I sometimes felt rejected by feminists because of an image that I sold because it paid the bills. Any fool could tell my hair is dyed."

"When I was much younger, I sometimes felt rejected by feminists because of an image that I sold because it paid the bills. Any fool could tell my hair is dyed."

Felicity Kendal, English Actress

51

"He that is proud of riches is a fool. For if he is exalted above his neighbors because he has more gold, how much inferior is he to a gold mine."

"He that is proud of riches is a fool. For if he is exalted above his neighbors because he has more gold, how much inferior is he to a gold mine."

Jeremy Taylor, British Clergyman

Fool, Gold, Neighbors

51

"It's not charming to go on a show and say, I dunno. It doesn't fool anybody. There's nothing glamorous about it at all."

"It's not charming to go on a show and say, I dunno. It doesn't fool anybody. There's nothing glamorous about it at all."

Jeff Goldblum, American Actor

50

"A fine quotation is a diamond in the hand of a man of wit and a pebble in the hand of a fool."

"A fine quotation is a diamond in the hand of a man of wit and a pebble in the hand of a fool."

Joseph Roux, French Clergyman

Fool, Man, Quotation, Wit

50

"To succeed in the world, it is much more necessary to possess the penetration to discern who is a fool, than to discover who is a clever man."

"To succeed in the world, it is much more necessary to possess the penetration to discern who is a fool, than to discover who is a clever man."

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, French Diplomat

Fool, Man, Succeed, World

50

"He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave."

"He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave."

Andrew Carnegie, American Businessman

Fool, Reason, Will

49

"To be a man's own fool is bad enough, but the vain man is everybody's."

"To be a man's own fool is bad enough, but the vain man is everybody's."

William Penn, English Leader

49

"Whatever talents I possess may suddenly diminish or suddenly increase. I can with ease become an ordinary fool. I may be one now. But it doesn't do to upset one's own vanity."

"Whatever talents I possess may suddenly diminish or suddenly increase. I can with ease become an ordinary fool. I may be one now. But it doesn't do to upset one's own vanity."

Dylan Thomas, Welsh Poet

Fool, May, Now, Vanity

49

"Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish."

"Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish."

Marcus Fabius Quintilian, Roman Philosopher

49

"The fool knows after he's suffered."

"The fool knows after he's suffered."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

48

"Prejudices are what fools use for reason."

"Prejudices are what fools use for reason."

Voltaire, French Writer

Fool, Fools, Reason

48

"My whole deal when I do accents or dialects is I gotta fool the locals. If I fool the locals then I've done my job."

"My whole deal when I do accents or dialects is I gotta fool the locals. If I fool the locals then I've done my job."

Brion James, American Actor

47

"In university they don't tell you that the greater part of the law is learning to tolerate fools."

"In university they don't tell you that the greater part of the law is learning to tolerate fools."

Doris Lessing, English Writer

Fool, Fools, Law, Learning, University

47

"The older I get, the less I suffer fools gladly."

"The older I get, the less I suffer fools gladly."

Kathleen Turner, American Actress

46

"We should not fool ourselves. We are not one of the world's top teams any more."

"We should not fool ourselves. We are not one of the world's top teams any more."

Franz Beckenbauer, German Athlete

46

"I am firm. You are obstinate. He is a pig-headed fool."

"I am firm. You are obstinate. He is a pig-headed fool."

Katherine Whitehorn, British Journalist

46

"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough."

"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough."

Bruce Lee, American Actor

Fool, Quick, Temper, Will

45

"I go out there and make a fool of myself. It's inevitable."

"I go out there and make a fool of myself. It's inevitable."

Armand Assante, American Actor

45

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Randall Terry, American Celebrity

45

"I wonder sometimes if manufacturers of foolproof items keep a fool or two on their payroll to test things."

"I wonder sometimes if manufacturers of foolproof items keep a fool or two on their payroll to test things."

Alan Coren, British Writer

45

"To marry a fool is to be no fool."

"To marry a fool is to be no fool."

Moliere, French Playwright

45

"Busy old fool, unruly Sun, why dost thou thus through windows and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers seasons run?"

"Busy old fool, unruly Sun, why dost thou thus through windows and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers seasons run?"

John Donne, British Poet

Fool, Lovers, Old, Seasons

45

"One fool at least in every married couple."

"One fool at least in every married couple."

Henry Fielding, English Novelist

44

"A fool too late bewares when all the peril is past."

"A fool too late bewares when all the peril is past."

Elizabeth I, English Royalty

44

"We also want to try and slow down all this foolishness that's going on between the East and West. We gotta understand that Hip Hop is now universal. Hip Hop is not East coast or West coast."

"We also want to try and slow down all this foolishness that's going on between the East and West. We gotta understand that Hip Hop is now universal. Hip Hop is not East coast or West coast."

Afrika Bambaataa, American Musician

Fool, Foolishness, Now, Want

44

"A man may be as much a fool from the want of sensibility as the want of sense."

"A man may be as much a fool from the want of sensibility as the want of sense."

Anna Jameson, British Writer

Fool, Man, May, Sense

44

"As favor and riches forsake a man, we discover in him the foolishness they concealed, and which no one perceived before."

"As favor and riches forsake a man, we discover in him the foolishness they concealed, and which no one perceived before."

Jean de la Bruyere, French Philosopher

Fool, Foolishness, Man

44

"The surprising thing about young fools is how many survive to become old fools."

"The surprising thing about young fools is how many survive to become old fools."

Doug Larson, American Cartoonist

Fool, Fools, Old

44

"Journalists, who are skeptical to begin with, simply do not like to be lied to or made fools of."

"Journalists, who are skeptical to begin with, simply do not like to be lied to or made fools of."

Roger Mudd, American Journalist

43

"The fool within himself is the object of pity, until he is flattered."

"The fool within himself is the object of pity, until he is flattered."

Richard Steele, British Dramatist

43

"I try not to kid myself. You know, I don't mind romancing someone else, but to fool yourself is pretty devastating and dangerous."

"I try not to kid myself. You know, I don't mind romancing someone else, but to fool yourself is pretty devastating and dangerous."

Bill Veeck, American Businessman

Fool, Mind, Pretty

43

"Is not this whole world an illusion? And yet it fools everybody."

"Is not this whole world an illusion? And yet it fools everybody."

Angela Carter, English Novelist

Fool, Fools, Illusion, World

43

"I'm delighted by how Nobody's Fool turned out. It was a rare movie."

"I'm delighted by how Nobody's Fool turned out. It was a rare movie."

Richard Russo, American Novelist

42

"I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection."

"I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection."

Billy Joel, American Musician

Fool, Man, Rejection, Thinking

42

"It is the fool who thinks he cannot be fooled."

"It is the fool who thinks he cannot be fooled."

Joey Skaggs, American Celebrity

42

"Am I a fool? I don't think I'm a fool. But I think I sure was fooled."

"Am I a fool? I don't think I'm a fool. But I think I sure was fooled."

Kenneth Lay, American Businessman

42

"A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool."

"A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool."

Moliere, French Playwright

42

"Those who claim to have had happy lives seem to be silly fools."

"Those who claim to have had happy lives seem to be silly fools."

Taylor Caldwell, American Author

Fool, Fools, Silly

41

"Sometimes the fool who rushes in gets the job done."

"Sometimes the fool who rushes in gets the job done."

Al Bernstein, American Writer

41

"A healthy old fellow, who is not a fool, is the happiest creature living."

"A healthy old fellow, who is not a fool, is the happiest creature living."

Gerald Brenan, English Writer

Fool, Living, Old

41

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

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

Charles de Secondat, French Philosopher

Fool, Succeed, World

40

"Fools, most linguists. Damn all to say in one language, so they learn another and say damn all in that."

"Fools, most linguists. Damn all to say in one language, so they learn another and say damn all in that."

John le Carre, English Writer

Fool, Fools, Language, Linguists

40

bottom of page