“You have the army of mediocrities followed by the multitude of fools. As the mediocrities and the fools always form the immense majority, it is impossible for them to elect an intelligent government.”

“I always wanted to be commander-in-chief of my one-woman army,
But I can envision the mediocrity of my finest hour.”

“No one will ever follow you down the street if you're carrying a banner that says, "Onward toward mediocrity."”

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”

“One must indeed be ignorant of the methods of genius to suppose that it allows itself to be cramped by forms. Forms are for mediocrity, and it is fortunate that mediocrity can act only according to routine. Ability takes its flight unhindered.”

“A fool and his money are soon elected.”

“It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

“Fools follow rules when the set commands you.”

“Fool, nothing is impossible in Russia but reform.”

“A fool with the mind of a detective is an intelligent fool, a logical fool, the worst kind, because men's logic, far from compensating for their foolishness, only duplicates it, triplicates it, makes it dangerous.”