WIST Quotations

Bible, Vol. 1. Old Testament -- Book 22b. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 22:13 (Sir 22:13) [tr. KJV (1611)]

Dave — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:37:12 +0000

Talk not much with a fool, and go not to him that hath no understanding: beware of him, lest thou have trouble, and thou shalt never be defiled with his fooleries: depart from him, and thou shalt find rest, and never be disquieted with madness.

[μετὰ ἄφρονος μὴ πληθύνῃς λόγον
καὶ πρὸς ἀσύνετον μὴ πορεύου·
φύλαξαι ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ κόπον ἔχῃς
καὶ οὐ μὴ μολυνθῇς ἐν τῷ ἐντιναγμῷ αὐτοῦ·
ἔκκλινον ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνάπαυσιν
καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀκηδιάσῃς ἐν τῇ ἀπονοίᾳ αὐτοῦ.]

The Bible (The Old Testament) (14th - 2nd C BC) Judeo-Christian sacred scripture [Tanakh, Hebrew Bible], incl. the Apocrypha (Deuterocanonicals)
Book 22b. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 22:13 (Sir 22:13) [tr. KJV (1611)]
(Source)

Some translations note that the Septuagent includes, after the first sentence, e.g., "When people are senseless, they will bring everything of yours to nothing" or "For being without sense he will despise everything about you."

More on the history and acceptance of this Apocryphal book here and here.

(Source (Greek)). Alternate translations:

Talk not much with a fool, and go not with him that hath no sense.
Keep thyself from him, that thou mayst not have trouble, and thou shalt not be defiled with his sin.
Turn away from him, and thou shalt find rest, and shalt not be wearied out with his folly.
[tr. DRA (1899), 22:14-16]

Do not waste many words on a stupid man,
do not go near a dolt.
Beware of him, or he will give you trouble;
and will leave you soiled by contact with him.
Avoid him, and you will find rest
and not be exasperated by his folly.
[tr. JB (1966)]

Do not waste many words on the stupid,
do not go near a dolt.
Beware of him, or you will have trouble
and be soiled by contact with him;
keep away from him, and you will have peace of mind
and not be exasperated by his folly.
[tr. NJB (1985)]

Don't visit stupid people or spend a lot of time talking with them. Avoid them; then they can't contaminate you, and you can live in peace without being troubled or worn down by their foolishness.
[tr. GNT (1992 ed.)]

Don’t talk a lot with fools,
and don’t go to the unintelligent.
Be on guard against them
so that you don’t have trouble
and don’t get dirty
when they shake themselves off.
Stay away from them
and you will find rest,
and their senselessness
class="tab">won’t make you weary.[tr. CEB (2011)]

Do not talk much with senseless people
or visit unintelligent people.
Stay clear of them, or you may have trouble
and be spattered when they shake themselves off.
Avoid them and you will find rest,
and you will never be wearied by their lack of sense.
[tr. NRSV (2021 ed.)]

Montesquieu -- Pensées Diverses [Assorted Thoughts], # 1637 / 1051 (1720-1755) [ed. Guterman (1963)]

Dave — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 21:08:34 +0000

Solemnity is the fool’s shield and buckler.

[La gravité est la bouclier des sots.]

Charles-Lewis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755) French political philosopher
Pensées Diverses [Assorted Thoughts], # 1637 / 1051 (1720-1755) [ed. Guterman (1963)]
(Source)

(Source (French), # 1051). Other translations:

Gravity is the shield of fools.
[tr. Clark (2012), # 1637]

Solemnity is the shield of idiots.
[E.g.]

Moffat, Steven -- Sherlock, 01×01 “A Study in Pink” (2010-07-25)

Dave — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 18:57:52 +0000

WATSON: Pink. You got all that because you realized the case would be pink?

HOLMES: Well, it had to be pink, obviously.

WATSON: Why didn’t I think of that?

HOLMES: Because you’re an idiot. [WATSON looks up, insulted.] No, no, no, don’t be like that. Practically everyone is.

Steven Moffat (b. 1961) Scottish television writer, producer
Sherlock, 01×01 “A Study in Pink” (2010-07-25)
(Source)

(Source (Video); dialog verified)

Billings, Josh -- Josh Billings’ Trump Kards, ch. 11 “The Mermaid” (1874)

Dave — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 18:06:23 +0000

Natur seldum makes a phool, she simply furnishes the raw materials, and lets the fellow finish the job to suit himself.

[Nature seldom makes a fool, she simply furnishes the raw materials and lets the fellow finish the job to suit himself.]

Josh Billings (1818–1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Trump Kards, ch. 11 “The Mermaid” (1874)
(Source)

See also Billings.

Bierce, Ambrose -- “Idiot,” The Cynic’s Word Book (1906)

Dave — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:00:55 +0000

IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. The Idiot’s activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action, but “pervades and regulates the whole.” He has the last word in everything; his decision is unappealable. He sets the fashions of opinion and taste, dictates the limitations of speech and circumscribes conduct with a dead-line.

Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914?) American writer and journalist
“Idiot,” The Cynic’s Word Book (1906)
(Source)

Included in The Devil's Dictionary (1911). Originally published in the "Devil's Dictionary" column in the San Francisco Wasp (1885-08-29).

Montesquieu -- Persian Letters [Lettres Persanes], Letter 66, Rica to *** (1721) [tr. Davidson (1891)]

Dave — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 18:37:26 +0000

It seems to be a wise provision of nature that the follies of men should be short-lived; but books interfere and immortalize them. A fool, not content with having bored all those who have lived with him, insists on tormenting generations to come; he would have his folly triumph over oblivion, which should have been as welcome to him as death; he wishes posterity to be informed of his existence, and he would have it remember for ever that he was fool.

[La nature sembloit avoir sagement pourvu à ce que les sottises des hommes fussent passagères, et les livres les immortalisent. Un sot devroit être content d’avoir ennuyé tous ceux qui ont vécu avec lui : il veut encore tourmenter les races futures, il veut que sa sottise triomphe de l’oubli, dont il auroit pu jouir comme du tombeau; il veut que la postérité soit informée qu’il a vécu, et qu’elle sache à jamais qu’il a été un sot.]

Charles-Lewis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689–1755) French political philosopher
Persian Letters [Lettres Persanes], Letter 66, Rica to *** (1721) [tr. Davidson (1891)]
(Source)

Commonly paraphrased as "An author is a fool who, not content with having bored those who have lived with him, insists on boring future generations."

(Source (French)). Other translations:

Nature seems wisely to have provided that the Follies of Men shou'd pass away, but Books perpetuate them. A Fool ought to be satisfy'd with having teaz'd those who liv'd at the same Time with him: but he is for going further, and is resolved to plague the Generations to come he is resolv'd to make his Impertinence triumph over Oblivion, which he might have enjoy'd as well as his Grave: he will have Posterity know that such a one liv'd, and all future Ages be inform'd that he was a Fool.
[tr. Ozell (1736 ed.), Letter 64]

Nature seems to have provided, that the follies of men should be transient, but they by writing books render them permanent. A fool ought to content himself with having wearied those who lived with him: but he is for tormenting future generations; he is desirous that his folly should triumph over oblivion, which he ought to have enjoyed as well as his grave; he is desirous that posterity should be informed that he lived, and that it should be known for ever that he was a fool.
[tr. Floyd (1762)]

Nature has wisely provided that the follies of men should be ephemeral; but, unhappily, these very follies are immortalised in books. A fool ought to have been satisfied with boring all those who have lived with him; yet he insists on torturing future races; he is determined that his folly shall triumph over the oblivion in which he ought to have been able to find as much enjoyment as he does in his last slumber; he wishes posterity to know that he has lived, and remember forever that he was a fool.
[tr. Betts (1897)]

While nature seems wisely to have provided that the stupidities of men should be transient, books immortalize them. A fool should be content with boring everyone who has lived with him, but he further undertakes to torment future generations. He wants his folly to triumph over the oblivion which he should welcome like the sleep of the tomb; he wants to inform posterity that he has lived, and to have it forever remembered that he was a fool.
[tr. Healy (1964)]

Nature in her wisdom seems to have arranged for man's follies to be short-lived, and books render them immortal. A fool ought to be satisfied with having bored all his own contemporaries, but he also seeks to torment those as yet unborn; he wants his stupidity to triumph over oblivion, which he might, like the tomb, have enjoyed; but no, he wants posterity to be notified that he has lived, and he wants her to know, for all eternity, that he was an idiot.
[tr. Mauldon (2008), Letter 64]

Nature has so arranged things that the absurdities men say are passing things, but books give them immortal life. A fool ought to have been content to have annoyed those who live near him, but instead he wants the chance to torment future generations. He wants his absurdities to triumph over the complete oblivion that he really ought to have welcomed and enjoyed like a tomb. He wants posterity to be informed that he lived, and he wants it known for all time that he was a fool.
[tr. MacKenzie (2014), Letter 64]

Twain, Mark -- Following the Equator, ch. 61, epigraph (1897)

Dave — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 16:16:09 +0000

In the first place God made idiots. That was for practice. Then He made School Boards.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Following the Equator, ch. 61, epigraph (1897)

Jerome, Jerome K. -- Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, “On Cats and Dogs” (1889)

Dave — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 18:53:36 +0000

It is so pleasant to come across people more stupid than ourselves. We love them at once for being so.

Jerome K. Jerome (1859–1927) English writer, humorist [Jerome Klapka Jerome]
Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, “On Cats and Dogs” (1889)
(Source)

Butcher, Jim -- Turn Coat (2009)

Dave — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 13:38:40 +0000

There’s a fine line between audacity and idiocy.

Jim Butcher (b. 1971) American author
Turn Coat (2009)

King, Greg -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:43:39 +0000

Don’t argue with idiots because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

Greg King (b. 1964) American author and biographer
(Attributed)

Often attributed to Twain (compare to this), Bob Smith, George Carlin, and John Guerrero, all without citation. See also Proverbs 26:4.

Twain, Mark -- (Spurious)

Dave — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 14:50:56 +0000

Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
(Spurious)

Frequently attributed to Twain and also to Immanuel Kant (but never, in either case, with any citation). The phrase first makes recognizable (if anonymous) appearance in the late 19th Century; attributions to Twain begin in the late 1990s. See also Proverbs 26:4. For more discussion (and a shout-out to WIST) see here.

Bible, Vol. 1. Old Testament -- Book 20. Proverbs 26: 4 (Prov 24:6) [KJV (1611)]

Dave — Wed, 28 May 2014 12:16:13 +0000

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

אַל־תַּ֣עַן כְּ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּ֑וֹ פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לּ֥וֹ גַם־אָֽתָּה׃

The Bible (The Old Testament) (14th - 2nd C BC) Judeo-Christian sacred scripture [Tanakh, Hebrew Bible], incl. the Apocrypha (Deuterocanonicals)
Book 20. Proverbs 26: 4 (Prov 24:6) [KJV (1611)]
(Source)

(Source (Hebrew)). Other translations:

Do not answer a fool in the terms of his folly for fear you grow like him yourself.
[JB (1966)]

If you answer a silly question, you are just as silly as the person who asked it.
[GNT (1976)]

Do not answer a fool in the terms of his folly for fear you grow like him yourself.
[NJB (1985)]

Don’t answer fools according to their folly,
or you will become like them yourself.
[CEB (2011)]

Do not answer fools according to their folly,
lest you be a fool yourself.
[NRSV (2021 ed.)]

Do not answer a dullard in accord with his folly,
Else you will become like him.
[RJPS (2023 ed.)]

~Proverbs and Sayings -- English proverb

Dave — Fri, 16 May 2014 13:16:24 +0000

If a donkey bray at you, don’t bray at him.

Proverbs, Sayings, and Adages
English proverb

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1734 ed.)

Dave — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 12:19:59 +0000

A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1734 ed.)
(Source)

Twain, Mark -- Quoted in Merle Johnson, ed., More Maxims of Mark (1927)

Dave — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:01:35 +0000

The trouble ain’t that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain’t distributed right.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Quoted in Merle Johnson, ed., More Maxims of Mark (1927)
(Source)

Not found in a primary source. Johnson was a rare book collector who published the first thorough bibilography of Twain's works in 1910. His 1927 work is a 15-page pamphlet, generally considered authentic by scholars, but it provides no other context for the saying.

For more information on the history of this quotation, see Quote Origin: The Trouble Ain’t That There Is Too Many Fools, But That the Lightning Ain’t Distributed Right – Quote Investigator®.

Variant: "The trouble isn’t that there are too many fools, but that the lightning isn’t distributed right."

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Sr. -- Article (1890-06), “Over the Teacups,” No. 7, Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 66

Dave — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:10:46 +0000

That is what you have to expect if you invent anything that puts an old machine out of fashion, or solve a problem that has puzzled all the world up to your time. There never was a religion founded but its Messiah was called a crank. There never was an idea started that woke up men out of their stupid indifference but its originator was spoken of as a crank.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–1894) American poet, essayist, scholar
Article (1890-06), “Over the Teacups,” No. 7, Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 66
(Source)

Collected in Over the Teacups, ch. 7 (1891).

Sophocles -- Ajax, l. 964 [tr. Moore (1959)]

Dave — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:49:53 +0000

TECMESSA: Ignorant men
Don’t know what good they hold in their hands until
They’ve flung it away.

Sophocles (496–406 BC) Greek tragic playwright
Ajax, l. 964 [tr. Moore (1959)]

Alt trans.:

“Men of perverse opinion do not know / The excellence of what is in their hands, / Till some one dash it from them.” [George Young (1888)]
"Men of ill judgement oft ignore the good / That lies within their hands, till they have lost it."
"For those who are base in judgement do not know the good they hold in their hands until they cast it off."

West, Rebecca -- Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, Prologue (1941)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

The word “idiot” comes from a Greek root meaning private person. Idiocy is the female defect: intent on their private lives, women follow their fate through a darkness deep as that cast by malformed cells in the brain. It is no worse than the male defect, which is lunacy: men are so obsessed by public affairs that they see the world as by moonlight, which shows the outlines of every object but not the details indicative of their nature.

Rebecca West (1892–1983) British author, journalist, literary critic, travel writer [pseud. for Cicily Isabel Fairfield]
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, Prologue (1941)
(Source)

Sometimes oddly paraphrased, "The main difference between men and women is that men are lunatics and women are idiots."

Carlin, George -- Show (1984-04-19), On Campus, “Cars and Driving,” University of California, Los Angeles

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Have you ever noticed when driving that anyone who is driving slower than you is an idiot? And anyone driving faster than you is a maniac? “Say, look at this idiot here! Will you just look at this idiot, just creeping along — whoa, look at that maniac go!” I mean, it’s a wonder we ever get anywhere at all, with all the idiots and maniacs there are.

George Carlin (1937–2008) American comedian
Show (1984-04-19), On Campus, “Cars and Driving,” University of California, Los Angeles

(Source (Video); dialog verified)

This skit was put in text in Napalm & Silly Putty, "Cars and Driving, Part 1," "Idiots and Maniacs" (2001):

Have you ever noticed when you're drivin', anyone goin' slower than you is an idiot? And anyone goin' faster than you is a maniac? "Will you look at this idiot!" [points right] "Look at him! Just creepin' along!" [swings head left] "Holy shit! Look at that maniac go!" Why, I tell ya, folks, it's a wonder we ever get anywhere at all these days, what with all the idiots and maniacs out there.

Which was in turn recorded as an audiobook by Carlin. Note the audio version of the book adds "Whoa!" in front of "Holy shit!" and omits the words "these days."