„Whoever says that he "belongs to his time" is only saying that he agrees with the largest number of fools at that moment.“
— Nicolás Gómez Dávila Colombian writer and philosopher 1913 - 1994
Sucesivos Escolios a un Texto Implícito (1992)
Quotes about fools
A collection of quotes on the topic of fools.
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„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-Périgord French diplomat 1754 - 1838
Reported in, C.N. Douglas, comp. Forty Thousand Quotations: Prose and Poetical. (1917).
„The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.“
— William Shakespeare, As You Like It
As You Like It (1599–1600), Touchstone, Act V, scene i
„It will be a very hard thing to leave the country that God gave us. Our friends are buried there, and we hate to leave these grounds…. There is something strong for us — that fool band of soldiers that cleared out our lodges and killed our women and children. This is hard on us. There at Sand Creek — White Antelope and many other chiefs lie there; our women and children lie there. Our lodges were destroyed there, and our horses were taken from us there, and I do not feel disposed to go right off to a new country and leave them.“
— Little Raven (Arapaho leader) Southern Arapaho chief 1810 - 1889
At the signing of the Little Arkansas Treaty (October 1865), as quoted in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1970), p. 100
„A man searching for paradise lost can seem a fool to those who never sought the other world.“
— Jim Morrison lead singer of The Doors 1943 - 1971
„Curiously, aerosol pollution of the northern hemisphere reduces global warming by reflecting sunlight back to space. This "global dimming" is transient and could disappear in a few days like the smoke that it is, leaving us fully exposed to the heat of the global greenhouse. We are in a fool's climate, accidentally kept cool by smoke, and before this century is over billions of us will die and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable.“
— James E. Lovelock independent scientist, environmentalist and futurist 1919
"James Lovelock: The Earth is about to catch a morbid fever that may last as long as 100,000 years" The Independent (January 16, 2006)
„I can say with truth that I have never, even in times of greatest preoccupation with carnal, worldly and egotistic pursuits, seriously doubted that our existence here is related in some mysterious way to a more comprehensive and lasting existence elsewhere; that somehow or other we belong to a larger scene than our earthly life provides, and to a wider reach of time than our earthly allotment of three score years and ten…It has never been possible for me to persuade myself that the universe could have been created, and we, homo sapiens, so-called, have, generation after generation, somehow made our appearance to sojourn briefly on our tiny earth, solely in order to mount the interminable soap opera, with the same characters and situations endlessly recurring, that we call history. It would be like building a great stadium for a display of tiddly-winks, or a vast opera house for a mouth-organ recital. There must, in other words, be another reason for our existence and that of the universe than just getting through the days of our life as best we may; some other destiny than merely using up such physical, intellectual and spiritual creativity as has been vouchsafed us. This, anyway, has been the strongly held conviction of the greatest artists, saints, philosophers and, until quite recent times, scientists, through the Christian centuries, who have all assumed that the New Testament promise of eternal life is valid, and that the great drama of the Incarnation which embodies it, is indeed the master drama of our existence. To suppose that these distinguished believers were all credulous fools whose folly and credulity in holding such beliefs has now been finally exposed, would seem to me to be untenable; and anyway I'd rather be wrong with Dante and Shakespeare and Milton, with Augustine of Hippo and Francis of Assisi, with Dr. Johnson, Blake and Dostoevsky, than right with Voltaire, Rousseau, Darwin, the Huxleys, Herbert Spencer, H. G. Wells and Bernard Shaw.“
— Malcolm Muggeridge English journalist, author, media personality, and satirist 1903 - 1990
Confessions of a Twentieth-Century Pilgrim (1988)
„Any man who does not make himself proficient in at least two languages other than his own is a fool“
— Martin H. Fischer American university teacher (1879-1962) 1879 - 1962
„To me, [it's] extremely interesting that men, perfectly honest, enthusiastic over their work, can so completely fool themselves.“
— Irving Langmuir, Pathological Science
1953 talk, transcribed in: [Irving Langmuir, 1989, October, Pathological Science, Physics Today, 42, 36-48]
„If you are an ignorant man, you are acting wisely; but if you have had any education, you are behaving like a fool.“
— Theophrastus ancient greek philosopher -371 - -287 BC
Εἰ μὲν ἀμαθὴς εἶ, φρονίμως ποιεῖς, εἰ δὲ πεπαίδευσαι, ἀφρόνως.
Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius; translation from C. D. Yonge (trans.), The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (London: H. G. Bohn, 1853), p. 196.
Said "when a man preserved a strict silence during the whole of a banquet".
„Because no battle is ever won. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools. Be different!“
— Kim Peek American savant, model for the protagonist of the film "Rain Man" 1951 - 2009
Wisconsin Medical Society http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant/kimpeek.cfm
„The Word of God can take care of itself, and will do so if we preach it, and cease defending it. See you that lion. They have caged him for his preservation; shut him up behind iron bars to secure him from his foes! See how a band of armed men have gathered together to protect the lion. What a clatter they make with their swords and spears! These mighty men are intent upon defending a lion. O fools, and slow of heart! Open that door! Let the lord of the forest come forth free. Who will dare to encounter him? What does he want with your guardian care? Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.“
— Charles Spurgeon British preacher, author, pastor and evangelist 1834 - 1892
The Lover of God's Law Filled with Peace (January 1888) http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols34-36/chs2004.pdf
„The next time I send a damn fool for something, I go myself.“
— Samuel Goldwyn American film producer (1879-1974). 1879 - 1974
Misattributed, Reported in Paul F. Boller, John George, They Never Said It (1990), p. 41-42.
„If I make a fool of myself, who cares? I'm not frightened by anyone's perception of me.“
— Angelina Jolie American actress, film director, and screenwriter 1975
„The great thing about people with intellectual disabilities is that they’re not people who discuss philosophy… What they want is fun and laughter, to do things together and fool around, and laughter is at the heart of community.“
— Jean Vanier Canadian humanitarian 1928 - 2019
From interviews and talks, The Gift of Living With the Not Gifted http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-gift-of-living-with-the-not-gifted-1428103079 Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2015
„Don't let these tattoos fool you. I'm straight edge. I'm a man of great discipline; I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs… my addiction is wrestling - my obsession is competition. Discipline. My name is C…M…Punk.“
— Phil Brooks American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist 1978
Extreme Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling. July 4th, 2006.
This was Punk's debut on ECW television.
„Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery element are made for wise men to contemplate, and for fools to pass by without consideration.“
— Izaak Walton, book The Compleat Angler
The Compleat Angler (1653-1655), Part I, ch. 1.
„Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.“
— Bob Marley Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician 1945 - 1981
„Fool, if you be cancer, I be the cure.“
— Vico C American rapper and singer of Puerto Rican descent 1971
"Bueno, si mi pueblo perece, por falta de conocimiento. Aqui le va una aspirina
The first sentence is from the Book of Hosea, 4:6.
