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The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.
Epicurus
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Interpretation

What this quote means

It's better to face challenges with wisdom than to live a prosperous but foolish life.

This quote by Epicurus highlights the value of wisdom and intellect over mere material success or prosperity. It suggests that the struggles and hardships faced by a wise person lead to greater understanding and depth of character, whereas a fool may enjoy riches or comfort but lacks true insight and fulfillment in life.

Themes

WisdomFoolProsperityMisfortuneIntellect

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the value of education and experience, this quote can underline the importance of wisdom.

More from Epicurus

The fool’s life is empty of gratitude and full of fears; its course lies wholly toward the future.
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Accustom yourself to believe that death is nothing to us, for good and evil imply awareness, and death is the privation of all awareness; therefore a right understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not by adding to life an unlimited time, but by taking away the yearning after immortality. For life has no terror; for those who thoroughly apprehend that there are no terrors for them in ceasing to live.
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The wise man who has become accustomed to necessities knows better how to share with others than how to take from them, so great a treasure of self-sufficiency has he found.
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We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.
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I was not, I was, I am not, I care not. (Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo)
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Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
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A little wisdom, now and then

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