Fool Quotes | Beyond Motive 2/3

top of page

Fool Quotes

"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

17

"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

17

"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

17

"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

17

"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

16

"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

16

"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

16

"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

16

"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

16

"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

15

"As blushing will sometimes make a whore pass for a virtuous woman, so modesty may make a fool seem a man of sense."

"As blushing will sometimes make a whore pass for a virtuous woman, so modesty may make a fool seem a man of sense."

Jonathan Swift, Irish Writer

Fool, Man, May, Modesty

15

"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

15

"No one but a fool is always right."

"No one but a fool is always right."

David Hare, English Playwright

15

"One fool at least in every married couple."

"One fool at least in every married couple."

Henry Fielding, English Novelist

15

"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

15

"A fool and his words are soon parted."

"A fool and his words are soon parted."

William Shenstone, English Poet

15

"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

15

"Prejudices are what fools use for reason."

"Prejudices are what fools use for reason."

Voltaire, French Writer

Fool, Fools, Reason

15

"Suffer fools gladly; they may be right."

"Suffer fools gladly; they may be right."

Holbrook Jackson, English Writer

Fool, Fools, May, Right

15

"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

14

"I was always a show-off - as a kid I was never afraid to make a fool of myself, and I guess that's still true."

"I was always a show-off - as a kid I was never afraid to make a fool of myself, and I guess that's still true."

Ann Robinson, American Actress

14

"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

14

"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

14

"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

14

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

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

Joey Skaggs, American Celebrity

14

"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

14

"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

14

"A doctrinaire is a fool but an honest man."

"A doctrinaire is a fool but an honest man."

Lord Melbourne, British Statesman

13

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

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

Al Bernstein, American Writer

13

"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

13

"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."

"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, French Poet

Fool, Fools, World

13

"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

13

"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

13

"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

13

"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

13

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

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

Moliere, French Playwright

13

"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

13

"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

13

"I don't fool myself. I can't see myself doing Shakespeare."

"I don't fool myself. I can't see myself doing Shakespeare."

Sharon Tate, American Actress

Fool, Shakespeare

12

"Membership of the United Nations gives every member the right to make a fool of himself, and that is a right of which the Soviet Union in this case has taken full advantage."

"Membership of the United Nations gives every member the right to make a fool of himself, and that is a right of which the Soviet Union in this case has taken full advantage."

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., American Politician

Fool, Nations, Right, United

12

"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

12

"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

12

"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

12

"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

12

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

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

Kathleen Turner, American Actress

11

"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

11

"A minority group has "arrived" only when it has the right to produce some fools and scoundrels without the entire group paying for it."

"A minority group has "arrived" only when it has the right to produce some fools and scoundrels without the entire group paying for it."

Carl T. Rowan, American Journalist

Fool, Fools, Minority, Right

11

"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

11

"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

11

"Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment."

"Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment."

Horace, Roman Poet

Fool, Foolishness, Right, Silly

11

bottom of page