In dealing with a man who thinks you are a fool, it is good sometimes to remind him that you know what he knows but have chosen to appear foolish for the sake of peace.
Interpretation
Sometimes, it is wiser to appear foolish to maintain peace, as one can still understand the situation.
This quote suggests that in certain interactions, especially with those who underestimate us, it may be beneficial to feign ignorance or foolishness. By doing so, we can avoid conflict and maintain harmony while still being aware of the truths and dynamics at play. It speaks to the complexity of human interactions and the strategic wisdom required to navigate them gracefully.
In practice
In a meeting where a colleague is belittling others, you might quote this to remind everyone of the value of strategic humility.
In fact, I thought that Christianity was very a good and a very valuable thing for us. But after a while, I began to feel that the story that I was told about this religion wasn't perhaps completely whole, that something was left out.
Writers don't give prescriptions. They give headaches!
Mr. Brown had thought of nothing but numbers. He should have known that the kingdom of God did not depend on large crowds. Our Lord Himself stressed the importance of fewness. Narrow is the way and few the number. To fill the Lord's holy temple with an idolatrous crowd clamoring for signs was a folly of everlasting consequence. Our Lord used the whip only once in His life - to drive the crowd away from His church.
It is the storyteller who makes us what we are, who creates history. The storyteller creates the memory that the survivors must have - otherwise their surviving would have no meaning.
Writing has always been a serious business for me. I felt it was a moral obligation. A major concern of the time was the absence of the African voice. Being part of that dialogue meant not only sitting at the table but effectively telling the African story from an African perspective - in full earshot of the world.
An angry man is always a stupid man.
We notice that the mind is a restless bird; the more it gets the more it wants, and still remains unsatisfied. The more we indulge our passions the more unbridled they become. Our ancestors, therefore, set a limit to our indulgences. They saw that happiness was largely a mental condition. A man is not necessarily happy because he is rich, or unhappy because he is poor.... Millions will always remain poor.
Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow.
Dogs are wise. They crawl away into a quiet corner and lick their wounds and do not rejoin the world until they are whole once more.
Fill what is empty, empty what is full, and scratch where it itches.
Individuals who cannot master their emotions are ill-suited to profit from the investment process.
Self-compassion - being supportive and kind to yourself, especially in the face of stress and failure - is associated with more motivation and better self-control.
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