To the world wisdom is folly; to the wise the world is foolish.
Related quotes
oH THE folly of Men
was it said
somewhere else
that Man's folly
is God's
wisdom?
could this be
the same as
Man's wisdom
is God's Folly?
Man is foolish
to love gold
God is wise
to love nothing.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Wise And The Foolish
Oh woe is me if all around me thinks me foolish!
Oh woe is me for all around me have tought themselves wise!
Wise is he that knows that he is foolish and seeks to be wise!
And foolish is he that knows not that he is a fool and thus seeks not wisdom!
Oh man, answer thee this! Is it better to be foolishly wise or to be wisely foolish?
Seek thou the truth and it shall set you free from thy woes!
poem by Overlord Don Manuel Ihcakeyno

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.
quote by Elizabeth Gaskell

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Foolish Boys With Their Toys
Foolish boys with their toys
Written by Wilfred Mellers, Friday, November 23,2012
You are a foolish boy with your toys
You own the world and everyone in it
The hearts and souls you can't ever win it
Information access you spin it
You are a foolish boy with your toys
You spit hate and say you are great
You turn a blind eye when others die
Sure you can blow up the world if you want to
Tell me, then what will you do?
You are a foolish boy with your toys
When you see the world to its end
Will that mean that you are men?
Arrogant and so unwise
Surrounded by stooges to fill your heads with lies
How foolish can you be?
Masters of the world and ruler of none
Life you took solely for fun
The gun took everything you claim to own
What will you do when you are left here all alone?
You're a foolish boy with your toys
Coding your messages to the grassroots
Fictitious fantasy filled with pure untruths
So foolish and unwise
You can't even see you own demise
Foolish boys with your toys
You've gained the world yet lost your soul
The very land you stand on you stole
This very world you're going to destroy
No steeds left to herd by the cowboy
You've been very foolish boys with your toys
poem by Wilfred Mellers

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
God Uses Whoever God Chooses
God uses who God chooses
God chose what is foolish in the world
to shame the wise; (wise in their own words)
God chose what is weak in the world
to shame the strong; (opinionated in own egos) 1Corinthians 1: 27
fools cannot accept a defeated Saviour?
foolish philosophers cannot believe in a God
who would take on mortal frail flesh die
a shameful extremely public painful death?
why because flawed philosophers
cannot live outside inflated ego bubbles?
demand ego tribute worshippers
poem by Terence George Craddock

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Fools haven
The haven of fools
This is the haven fools
Fools do not like greatness
So they hate to progress
Fools lack wisdom
They are far from freedom
Their heart attaineth riches
But they don't have riches
Fools will perish
But the upright will flourish
He will nourish
Has anybody seen
The end of the foolish
Think for wisdom excelleth folly
Whom will you like to be
The end of the upright
Is everlasting life
Like a tree
Planted by the river side
Marry it, let it be your bride
Keep it as your pride
Do away with ignorant
For the truth is important
Fools has pleasure in vanity
But the happiness
Of the wise is in eternity
poem by Matt Ancient

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Philosophic Pill
I've wisdom from the East and from the West,
That's subject to no academic rule;
You may find it in the jeering of a jest,
Or distill it from the folly of a fool.
I can teach you with a quip, if I've a mind;
I can trick you into learning with a laugh;
Oh, winnow all my folly, and you'll find
A grain or two of truth among the chaff!
I can set a braggart quailing with a quip,
The upstart I can wither with a whim;
He may wear a merry laugh upon his lip,
But his laughter has an echo that is grim.
When they've offered to the world in merry guise,
Unpleasant truths are swallowed with a will -
For he who'd make his fellow-creatures wise
Should always gild the philosophic pill!
poem by William Schwenck Gilbert

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Folly
(For A. K. K.)
What distant mountains thrill and glow
Beneath our Lady Folly's tread?
Why has she left us, wise in woe,
Shrewd, practical, uncomforted?
We cannot love or dream or sing,
We are too cynical to pray,
There is no joy in anything
Since Lady Folly went away.
Many a knight and gentle maid,
Whose glory shines from years gone by,
Through ignorance was unafraid
And as a fool knew how to die.
Saint Folly rode beside Jehanne
And broke the ranks of Hell with her,
And Folly's smile shone brightly on
Christ's plaything, Brother Juniper.
Our minds are troubled and defiled
By study in a weary school.
O for the folly of the child!
The ready courage of the fool!
Lord, crush our knowledge utterly
And make us humble, simple men;
And cleansed of wisdom, let us see
Our Lady Folly's face again.
poem by Joyce Kilmer

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The gluttons
The food that is sweet in the mouth of the goat can kill the goat,
what other name can i give to GREED to make it mild in the mouth?
fear of tomorow has maimed Ngogo kingdom and her people.
Ah Ngogo, why are you fated for doom?
king wants the head of another king.
father dies, sons die
see government without humanity;
religion without God;
business without conscience;
democracy without people;
election without voters.
The death that kills the mother hen never allows its eggs to hatch.
O king! O prince! what have you gained,
that you acquire all but have none?
vanity! phantasmagoria!
what a foolish wisdom.
Iyolo the bird fetches water in the mouth,
keeps some on the wings, yet,
goes home with nothing.
Flying, that of the wings pours out;
Opening mouth to exclaim, that of the mouth pours away.
no one fetches water from the river with a basket.
king fights king-betrayal; breach of trust.
yes, it is a vainglory, Ngoma's gluttony to own the world and its fullness.
But the rich are poor as much as the poor are rich,
the foolish are wise as much as the wise are foolish. Brothers kills each other for selfish interesin wealth and power.
Foolish wisdom!
like father like sons,
is it not thier doomsday?
Why not eat and let them eat?
live and let live.
man dies; all in him, all he knows,
all he has.beauty too shall vanish.
now see, Ngoma mourns!
Here, see a dynasty lost!
poem by Randy Micheal

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
God’s wisdom is ultimate
world’s wisdom is futile
man if wise knows this
quote by by John Celes

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise.
quote by Samuel Johnson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Love is the wisdom of the fool, and the folly of the wise.
quote by Samuel Johnson

Submitted by Dan Costinaş
Vote! | Copy! | In Spanish | In Italian | In Romanian
Sonnet: Think over All That You Do
All that the world is after isn't worthy;
All that the world revels in isn't glorious;
All that the world searches for isn't mirthy;
Each one decides for oneself, what’s precious.
Don't copy what majority may do;
Don't ignore what minority may seek;
Don't follow what traditions hand to you;
Whatever you do, recheck if good and meek.
Not all whom world regards as great are great;
Not all whom world regards as bad are bad;
No man must another man underrate;
Life's problems make the sanest soul half-mad.
Some selfish men think they are wise on earth;
True wisdom seeks God, pre-destined at birth.
poem by John Celes

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My Thoughts
Thought in the eyes,
The ears.
Thought in mind,
The brain,
Thought in heart,
The soul.
Great thought is great
when it becomes great deeds.
With my thoughts within
Building my world within
Learning with thought;
Is great learning wisdom.
Learning without thought,
Is opportunity lost.
Thought for others
Thought for God
Thought for good
Thought for God’s blessing
Thoughts teach me,
Thoughts educate me,
Thoughts clarify me,
Thoughts enlighten me.
Thoughts make me wise
Thoughts make me patience
Thoughts make me trust others
Thoughts make me clam.
Thoughts before act
Is smart and wise
Act before thoughts
Is stupid and foolish
That’s my thoughts
They make thinking clear
They make belief deepen
They make confidence high.
In thoughts, my world
In my world, make my thoughts.
In thoughts, my words
In my words, make my speech
It’s my thoughts count
Counting my thoughts
To endless counting thoughts
Thinking the thoughts endlessly
My thoughts and thoughts again.
poem by Lawrence Hiung

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The world is neither wise nor just, but it makes up for all its folly and injustice by being damnably sentimental.
quote by Thomas Huxley

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Wisely Love The Wise
The wise love wisely.
It’s said, that when the truly wise
surface from their sleep,
they see nought but heavenly blue
in which the world then gently, slowly shapes itself
as if this whole created world were but
a single act of love; and within that love,
their love is wisdom, knowledge, law;
as they emerge from their wise sleep,
this is what they are.
The wise love wisely; when they look at you,
(you who maybe meet them for
the first time; offer them perhaps
a flower from too hot a hand,
a fruit, a handkerchief…
or meet them by some heavenly accident,
they, like a comet through your life)
and their first so wise glance at you
sees nought but your perfection;
they do not doubt that you are they,
that they are you; and while they’re here
you share all this with them;
you’ve met yourself; for this
is what you are..
The wise are careful lovers
for love is care, and care is charity;
and yet the wise are widest, wildest,
most romantic lovers:
they throw, they strew their love
on all and every one and thing without a further thought,
offering simply, lawful freedom, happiness;
bidding love well as it flies away,
wishing you themself;
wishing you, yourself;
The wise love wisely;
for they know the secret law of love:
the more it’s given, the more there is
to give.
The wise love wisely;
so, they wear a wise disguise;
they look like you and me; because
we are that same disguise.
poem by Michael Shepherd

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Seers!
A DAY IS BORN FOR THE WISE!
SEE YE THE FUTURE!
IT HOLDS WISDOM FOR THE WISE!
THEY THAT SEE THE PRESENT ARE BUT LOOKERS!
THEY THAT SEE THE FUTURE ARE BUT VISIERS!
AND THEY THAT SEE ETERNITY ARE GRAND VISIERS!
I HAVE SEEN INFINITY AND BEYOND!
AND LO! THE WISDOM OF THE WISE IS BECOME FOOLISHNESS!
AND THE WISDOM OF THEIR ASTROLOGERS ARE BECOME INSANITY!
IF THEY BE WISE, WHY SOWETH THEY' ETERNAL TROUBLES AS SEED FOR THEIR FUTURE CHILDREN?
FOR LO, LIKE A SEA IS THE ENEMIES THAT HAS FALLEN UPON THE POWERS THAT BE TODAY!
TRUELY, I SAW MYSELF IN THAT SEA!
poem by Overlord Don Manuel Ihcakeyno

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

Folly, thou conquerest, and I must yieldAgainst stupidity the very godsThemselves contend in vain. Exalted reason,Resplendent daughter of the head divine,Wise foundress of the system of the world,Guide of the stars, who are thou then, if thou,Bound to the tail of folly's uncurb'd steed,Must, vainly shrieking, with the drunken crowd,Eyes open, plunge down headlong in the abyss.
Ανεμωλια
Go, foolish thoughts, and join the throng
Of myriads gone before;
To flutter and flap and flit along
The airy limbo shore.
Go, words of sport and words of wit,
Sarcastic point and fine,
And words of wisdom, wholly fit
With folly’s to combine.
Go, words of wisdom, words of sense,
Which, while the heart belied,
The tongue still uttered for pretence,
The inner blank to hide.
Go, words of wit, so gay, so light,
That still were meant express
To soothe the smart of fancied slight
By fancies of success.
Go, broodings vain o’er fancied wrong;
Go, love-dreams vainer still;
And scorn that’s not, but would be, strong;
And Pride without a Will.
Go, foolish thoughts, and find your way
Where myriads went before,
To languish out your lingering day
Upon the limbo shore.
poem by Arthur Hugh Clough (1850)

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
Vote! | Copy!