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foolishness quotes

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“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” William Shakespeare, As You Like It
“What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.” Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia
“EDUCATION, n. That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding.” Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
“The first thing you learn in life is you're a fool. The last thing you learn in life is you're the same fool.” Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine
“She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing” Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
“VOTE, n. The instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.” Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
“So, that's what they wanted: lies. Beautiful lies. That's what they needed. People were fools. It was going to be easy for me.” Charles Bukowski, Ham on Rye
“If one's lot is cast among fools, it is necessary to study folly.” Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
“I had decided against religion a couple of years back. If it were true, it made fools out of people, or it drew fools. And if it weren't true, the fools were all the more foolish.” Charles Bukowski, Ham on Rye
“The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.” Samuel Butler, The Note-Books of Samuel Butler
“The world runs on from one folly to another; and the man who, solely from regard to the opinion of others, and without any wish or necessity of his own, toils after gold, honour, or any other phantom, is no better than a fool.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Sorrows of Young Werther
“fools rush in where angels fear to tread” Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism
“as happens in Wall Street all too often, what the wise do in the beginning, fools do in the end.” Warren Buffett, The Essays of Warren Buffett
“It is better to be unhappy and know the worst, than to be happy in a fool's paradise!” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot
“The greatest fools are ofttimes more clever than the men who laugh at them” George R. R. Martin, A Storm of Swords
“It is such an uncomfortable feeling to know one is a fool.” L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
“I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can't go anywhere without meeting clever people. The thing has become an absolute public nuisance. I wish to goodness we had a few fools left.” Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
“How ill white hairs become a fool and jester!” William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2
“And I hope she'll be a fool — that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“Take heed, I have often heard it said in a vulgar proverb, the wise may be instructed by a fool.” François Rabelais, Gargantua and Pantagruel
“Travelling is a fool's paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
“Of course, a fool, what with sheer fright and fine sentiments, is always safe.” Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
“Only a fool humbles himself when the world is so full of men eager to do that job for him.” George R. R. Martin, A Clash of Kings
“Would you actually believe that you had committed your foolish acts in order to spare your son from committing them too?” Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
“The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly.” William Shakespeare, As You Like It
“You have delighted us long enough. Let the other young ladies have time to exhibit.” Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
“I am surrounded by flatterers and fools. It can drive a man to madness, Ned. Half of them don’t dare tell me the truth, and the other half can’t find it.” George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
“The books are to remind us what asses and fools we are.” Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
“Is it worth the name of freedom to be at liberty to play the fool, and draw shame and misery upon a man's self?” John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
“Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily — weak people, in other words — they stand no chance against his powers!” J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
“How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!” Jane Austen, Emma
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.” Richard Feynman, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
“the shameless vanity of utter fools can so strongly determine the fate of others.” Philip Roth, The Plot Against America
“Now, I am living out my life in my corner, taunting myself with the spiteful and useless consolation that an intelligent man cannot become anything seriously, and it is only the fool who becomes anything.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground
“He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.” William Shakespeare, As You Like It
“I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.” James Joyce, Dubliners
“I didn't have any friends at school, didn't want any. I felt better being alone. I sat on a bench and watched the others play and they looked foolish to me.” Charles Bukowski, Ham on Rye
“When the sun shines let foolish gnats make sport, but creep in crannies when he hides his beams.” William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors
“To rebel against being born a woman seemed as foolish to her as to take pride in it.” Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
“Poor fool! in whose petty estimation all things are little.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Sorrows of Young Werther
“Who's the more foolish… the fool or the fool who follows him?” George Lucas, Star Wars
“Yes, I was a fool, but I was in love, and though I was suffering the greatest misery I had ever known I would not have had it otherwise for all the riches of Barsoom.” Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Princess of Mars
“A man who has faith must be prepared not only to be a martyr, but to be a fool.” G. K. Chesterton, Heretics
“You're an old woman, Emily, and there's no fool like an old fool.” Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles
“When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools” William Shakespeare, King Lear
“Cato . . . used to assert, also, that wise men profited more by fools, than fools by wise men; for that wise men avoided the faults of fools, but that fools would not imitate the good examples of wise men.” Plutarch, Parallel Lives

Related topics

modesty women madness ego fear God wisdom cleverness truth happiness vanity freedom age weakness misery stupidity humility lie narcissism love

Related authors

William Shakespeare (6)
Ray Bradbury (2)
Warren Buffett (1)
Charles Bukowski (3)
George R. R. Martin (3)
Ambrose Bierce (2)
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (2)
Ralph Waldo Emerson (2)
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (2)
Jane Austen (2)
Oscar Wilde (1)
Alexandre Dumas (1)
Kurt Vonnegut (1)
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1)
J. K. Rowling (1)
L. Frank Baum (1)
Milan Kundera (1)
James Joyce (1)
G. K. Chesterton (1)
Joseph Conrad (1)

Related sources

As You Like It (3)
Ham on Rye (3)
Self-Reliance (2)
The Sorrows of Young Werther (2)
The Devil's Dictionary (2)
The Note-Books of Samuel Butler (1)
Pride and Prejudice (1)
The Importance of Being Earnest (1)
The Count of Monte Cristo (1)
King Lear (1)
The Great Gatsby (1)
The Idiot (1)
A Game of Thrones (1)
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1)
Emma (1)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1)
The Essays of Warren Buffett (1)
Fahrenheit 451 (1)
Notes on the State of Virginia (1)