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Fool Quotes

“The screech-owl, with ill-boding cry, Portends strange things, old women say; Stops every fool that passes by, And frights the school-boy from his play.”

Play School Boys Cry Strange Fool Ill Strange Things Old Woman Fright Owl

Author:Mary Wortley Montagu

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

Impossible Fool Russia Reform Nothing Is Impossible

Book:The Plays of Oscar Wilde

Source: The Plays of Oscar Wilde

“Give fools the first and women the last word.”

Giving Firsts Lasts Fool Last Words

Book:Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to his Son

Source: Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to his Son

“What shall be said, then, of those who insist upon ignoring the question of slavery as not involved in this deadly feud, and maintain that the only issue is, the support of the government and the preservation of the Union? Surely, they are "fools and blind"; for it is slaveholders alone who have conspired to seize the one, and overturn the other. As long as the enslavement of a single human being is sanctioned in the land, the curse of God will rest upon it.”

Humans Long Said Government Human Beings Support Issues Land Fool Involved Slavery Blind Unions Gods Will Curse Preservation Enslavement Feuds Slaveholders

Author:William Lloyd Garrison

“Honesty was a cheat invented first To bind the hands of bold deserving rogues, That fools and cowards might sit safe in power, And lord it uncontroll'd above their betters.”

Firsts Hands Might Lord Honesty Fool Safe Coward Cheat Deserving Rogues

Author:Thomas Otway

“Life is not fair... Anyone who says it is, or even that it ought to be, is a fool or worse.”

Life Is Fool Ought Fairs Not Fair

Author:David Brin

“If you ever manage to make a fool of me, I'll deserve what I get.”

Ifs Fool Deserve Manage

Book:The Women

Source: The Women

“My father wanted me to play pro football, and he didn't like the fact that I'd left school. And he said, "It takes a man to play football. And any fool can go up on the stage and make an ass of himself.”

Men Said Play Facts Wanted School Father Left Stage Football Fool Ass Pro Football

Author:Bill Cosby

“Let a fool be made serviceable according to his folly.”

Made Fool Folly

Book:Joseph Conrad: The Complete Novels [Nostromo, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, etc.] (Book House)

Source: Joseph Conrad: The Complete Novels [Nostromo, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, etc.] (Book House)

“Everyone has a bookplate these days, and the collectors are after it. The fool and his bookplate are soon parted. To distribute one's ex libris is inanely to destroy the only significance it has, that of indicating the past or present ownership of the volume in which it is placed.”

Past Fool These Days Significance Ownership Volume Exes Collectors

Author:Thomas Bailey Aldrich

“I tried to put a bird in a cage. O fool that I am! For the bird was Truth. Sing merrily, Truth: I tried to put Truth in a cage!”

Truth Fool Bird Cages

Book:William Carlos Williams

Source: William Carlos Williams

“I thought my friends were damn fools, because they didn't know any better way of conducting their lives. Still they conformed better than I to a code. I wanted to conform but I couldn't so I wrote my poetry.”

Knows Way Stills Wanted Fool My Friends Code Damn Conform Better Ways Conducting

Book:The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams: 1909-1939

Source: The Collected Poems of William Carlos Williams: 1909-1939

“Fools do not understand men of intelligence.”

Men Fool Intelligence Understand Me

Book:La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims

Source: La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims

“A liar is a man who does now know how to deceive, a flatterer one who only deceives fools: he who knows how to make skilful use of the truth, and understands its eloquence, can alone pride himself in cleverness.”

Knows Men Doe Use Lying Know How Pride Fool Liars Deceiving Eloquence Cleverness Flatterer

Author:Luc de Clapiers

“It is in our own mind and not in exterior objects that we perceive most things; fools know scarcely anything because they are empty, and their heart is narrow; but great souls find in themselves a number of exterior things; they have no need to read or travel or to listen or to work to discover the highest truths; they have only to delve into themselves and search, if we may say so, their own thoughts.”

Ifs Knows Needs Mind Heart May Soul Numbers Objects Fool Highest Empty Perceive Exterior Great Souls

Author:Luc de Clapiers

“The sophist sneers: Fool, take Thy pleasure, right or wrong! The pious wail: Forsake A world these sophists throng! Be neither saint nor sophist-led, but be a man.”

Men World Pleasure Fool Saint Be A Man Pious Forsake Sneer

Book:Delphi Complete Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold (Illustrated)

“In soft deluding lies let fools delight. A shadow marks our days, which end in Night.”

Ends Lying Night Fool Shadow Mark Delight

Book:The Verse of Hilaire Belloc

Source: The Verse of Hilaire Belloc

“Custom, madam, is the law of fools, but it shall never govern me.”

Law Fool Customs

Book:British Theatre: Bold stroke for a wife

Source: British Theatre: Bold stroke for a wife

“But once a fool always a fool, and the greater the power in his hands the more disastrous is likely to be the use he makes of it. The heaviest calamity in English history, the breach with America, might never have occurred if George the Third had not been an honest dullard.”

Ifs Use Hands Might America Greater Honest Fool Thirds Calamity Breach English History

Author:James G. Frazer

“Busy opinion is an idle fool.”

Opinion Fool Busy Idle

Author:John Ford

“Magicians are the most honest people in the world; they tell you they're gonna fool you, and then they do it.”

People World Honest Fool Magician Honest People

Author:James Randi

“You can't close your eyes to the lies perpetrated by dangerous fools / 'cos they're handing out rules”

Eye Lying Dangerous Fool

Author:Kim Wilde

“Fools, when their roof-tree falls, think it doomsday.”

Thinking Fall Tree Fool Roof Doomsday

Book:The poetical works of James Russell Lowell

Source: The poetical works of James Russell Lowell

“The loyalty, well held to fools, does make Our faith mere folly.”

Wells Doe Fool Mere Loyalty Folly

Book:The Dramatic Works and Poems of William Shakspeare: With Notes, Original and Selected, and Introductory Remarks to Each Play

Source: The Dramatic Works and Poems of William Shakspeare: With Notes, Original and Selected, and Introductory Remarks to Each Play

“I hold him but a fool that will endanger His body for a girl that loves him not.”

Body Girl Fool Folly

Book:The Two Gentlemen of Verona in Plain and Simple English (A Modern Translation)

Source: The Two Gentlemen of Verona in Plain and Simple English (A Modern Translation)

“Fools are not mad folks.”

Fool Mad Folks Folly

Book:Troilus and Cressida. Cymbeline. King Lear

Source: Troilus and Cressida. Cymbeline. King Lear

“Nature in her whole drama never drew such a part; she has sometimes made a fool, but a coxcomb is always of a man's own making.”

Men Made Sometimes Whole Fool Drama

Book:The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index ...

Source: The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index ...

“I Have often thought if the minds of men were laid open, we should see but little difference between that of the wise man and that of the fool. There are infinite reveries, numberless extravagances, and a perpetual train of vanities which pass through both. The great difference is, that the first knows how to pick and cull his thoughts for conversation, by suppressing some, and communicating others; whereas the other lets them all indifferently fly out in words.”

Source: Works, including the whole contents of Bp. Hurd's edition: withletters and other pieces not found in any previous collection; and Macaulay's essay on his life and works

“He who thinks with difficulty believes with alacrity. A fool is a natural proselyte, but he must be caught young, for his convictions, unlike those of the wise, harden with age.”

Thinking Believe Age Young Belief Natural Wise Fool Difficulty Caught Conviction Alacrity

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)

“Strive not for singularity in dress; Fools have the more and men of sense the less. To look original is not worth while, But be in mind a little out of style.”

Men Mind Looks Littles Style Fool Originals Dresses Strive Singularity

Book:A Cynic Looks at Life

Source: A Cynic Looks at Life

“When prosperous the fool trembles for the evil that is to come; in adversity the philosopher smiles for the good that he has had.”

Evil Fool Adversity Philosopher Prosperous Her Smile

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)

“Who would find out that I am a natural fool if I kept always cool and never let nature come to the surface? Nobody.”

Ifs Natural Fool Surface

Book:The Complete Works of Mark Twain (Illustrated Edition): Novels, Short Stories, Memoir, Travel Books, Letters, Biography, Articles & Speeches: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, Yankee in King Arthur's Court…

Source: The Complete Works of Mark Twain (Illustrated Edition): Novels, Short Stories, Memoir, Travel Books, Letters, Biography, Articles & Speeches: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, Yankee in King Arthur's Court…

“I am not given to finding fault, for there are innumerable fools.”

Given Fool Findings Faults

Book:The Dialogues of Plato

Source: The Dialogues of Plato

“The fool will upset the whole science of astronomy, but as the Holy Scripture shows, it was the sun and not the earth which Joshua ordered to stand still.”

Stills Whole Shows Earth Sun Fool Holy Astronomy Scripture Upset Holy Scriptures

Author:Martin Luther

“Wer nicht liebt Wein,Weib und Gesang, Der bleibt ein Narr sein Leben lang. Who loves not woman, wine and song Remains a fool his whole life long.”

Long Whole Song Fool Remains Wine Whole Life Long Life

Author:Martin Luther

“The fool will upset the whole science of astronomy.”

Whole Fool Astronomy Upset

Author:Martin Luther

“Never, ladies, marry a fool. Any husband rather than a fool. With some other husband you may be unhappy, but with a fool you will be miserable.”

May Fool Husband Unhappy Miserable

Book:Roxana; Or, The Fortunate Mistress: And The Life and Adventures of Mother Ross

Source: Roxana; Or, The Fortunate Mistress: And The Life and Adventures of Mother Ross

“Any fool can tell a crisis when it arrives. The real service to the state is to detect it in embryo.”

Real States Fool Crisis Embryos

Book:Foundation Trilogy

Source: Foundation Trilogy

“When Demaratus was asked whether he held his tongue because he was a fool or for want of words, he replied, "A fool cannot hold his tongue.”

Want Fool Tongue

Book:Plutarch's Morals

Source: Plutarch's Morals

“Being summoned by the Athenians out of Sicily to plead for his life, Alcibiades absconded, saying that that criminal was a fool who studied a defence when he might fly for it.”

Might Fool Criminals Defence Athenians

Book:Plutarch's Morals

Source: Plutarch's Morals

“School and things that painters have taught me even keep me from painting as I want to. I decided I was a very stupid fool not to be at least paint as I wanted to and say what I wanted to when I painted as that seemed to be the only thing I could do that didn't concern anybody but myself. I found that I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn't say in any other way things that I had no words for.”

Way Want Wanted School Found Stupid Taught Painting Fool Shapes Concern Decided Paint Painter Colour Very Stupid

Author:Georgia O'Keeffe

“There is a note that comes into the human voice by which you may know real weariness. It comes when one has been trying with all his heart and soul to think his way along some difficult road of thought. Of a sudden he finds himself unable to go on. Something within him stops. A tiny explosion takes place. He bursts into words and talks, perhaps foolishly. Little side currents of his nature he didn't know were there run out and get themselves expressed. It is at such times that a man boasts, uses big words, makes a fool of himself in general.”

Source: Triumph of the Egg and Other Stories

“A whetstone is no carving instrument, And yet it maketh sharp the carving tool; And if you see my efforts wrongly spent, Eschew that course and learn out of my school; For thus the wise may profit by the fool, And edge his wit, and grow more keen and wary, For wisdom shines opposed to its contrary.”

Ifs May Wisdom School Courses Grows Effort Wise Fool Tools Instruments Shining Edges Profit Contrary Wit Carving

Book:Troilus and Cressida

Source: Troilus and Cressida

“Some people', Miss R. said,'run to conceits or wisdom but I hold to the hard, brown, nutlike word. I might point out that there is enough aesthetic excitement here to satisfy anyone but a damned fool.”

People Said Hard Enough Might Running Missing Fool Excitement Brown Aesthetic Conceit

Author:Donald Barthelme

“Atheism ... that bugbear of women and fools ... is the very top and perfection of free-thinking. It is the grand arcanum to which a true genius naturally riseth, by a certain climax or gradation of thought, and without which he can never possess his soul in absolute liberty and repose.”

Thinking Soul Certain Liberty Atheism Fool Genius Perfection Absolutes Repose Free Thinking Climax True Genius

Book:The Works of George Berkeley ...: Philosophical works, 1732-33: Alciphron. The theory of vision

Source: The Works of George Berkeley ...: Philosophical works, 1732-33: Alciphron. The theory of vision

“True loyalty consists not in bowing the knee to earthly greatness, or in heroic deeds to "gild the kingly knave, or garnish out the fool," but in noble, generous acts of honest purpose, where truth, honor, and virtue, and a nation's welfare, are dearer than life.”

Purpose Nations Virtue Honest Greatness Fool Honor Deeds Noble Loyalty Knees Welfare Generous Heroic Knaves Heroic Deeds

Author:James Ellis

“Who will sacrifice nothing, and enjoy all, is a fool.”

Enjoy Sacrifice Fool

Author:Johann Kaspar Lavater

“A reproof entereth more into a woman of sense than an hundred compliments into a fool.”

Women Fool Hundred Compliment Reproof

Author:Gelett Burgess

“The ladies usually go for the biggest damn fool they can find; that is why the human race stands where it does today: we have bred the clever and lasting Casanovas, all hollow inside, like the chocolate Easter bunnies we foster upon our poor children.”

Humans Children Doe Today Women Poor Race Fool Clever Damn Human Race Lasting Chocolate Easter Hollow Bunnies Poor Children Easter Bunny Relationship Problem Casanova

Book:Notes of a Dirty Old Man

Source: Notes of a Dirty Old Man

“The greatest of all fools is the proud fool--who is at the mercy of every fool he meets.”

Fool Proud Mercy

Book:Lectures on Art, and Poems

Source: Lectures on Art, and Poems