“ The world must be rather a rough place for clever people. Ordinary folk dislike them, and as for themselves, they hate each other most cordially. But there, the clever people are such a very insignificant minority that it really doesn't much matter if they are unhappy. So long as the foolish people can be made comfortable the world, as a whole, will get on tolerably well. ”
Jerome K. Jerome, Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow (1886). copy citation
| Author | Jerome K. Jerome |
|---|---|
| Source | Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow |
| Topic | hate minority |
| Date | 1886 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/849/849-h/849-h.htm |
Context
“Men can't bear clever women, and a woman's ideal man is some one she can call a "dear old stupid." It is so pleasant to come across people more stupid than ourselves. We love them at once for being so. The world must be rather a rough place for clever people. Ordinary folk dislike them, and as for themselves, they hate each other most cordially.
But there, the clever people are such a very insignificant minority that it really doesn't much matter if they are unhappy. So long as the foolish people can be made comfortable the world, as a whole, will get on tolerably well.
Cats have the credit of being more worldly wise than dogs—of looking more after their own interests and being less blindly devoted to those of their friends. And we men and women are naturally shocked at such selfishness.”
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