4 ms·

Similar quote by Mark Twain > It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

daptaq 5y ago
Takes one to know one.
- SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
  It kind of seems like you are trying to pick a fight with Mark Twain.
  - chasd00 5y ago
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URWLnOJ25uA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URWLnOJ25uA
    - SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
      Swish! (That's amazing.)
anotherman554 5y ago
I'm pretty sure that quote is an insult and not good faith advise.
- fantod 5y ago
  Personally, I always read it as "advice" rather than as an insult. Unfortunately, can't seem to find much context for that quote so it's hard to determine what was intended.
  - anotherman554 5y ago
    Apparently Mark Twain never said it. If the quote stated "If you are ignorant on a topic it's better not to discuss it" that would be advise. (Though less quippy). But I read the quote as essentially saying: "You are so incredibly stupid you should never, ever attempt to speak to another human being ever again, on any conceivable subject". But maybe some people don't take it that way.
    - useragent86 5y ago
      > Apparently Mark Twain never said it. The advice has been written and uttered in various forms for millennia. > If the quote stated "If you are ignorant on a topic it's better not to discuss it" that would be advise. (Though less quippy). Your quote would be different advice; it doesn't have the same meaning nor implications. > But I read the quote as essentially saying: "You are so incredibly stupid you should never, ever attempt to speak to another human being ever again, on any conceivable subject". How many of your personal experiences are you reading into a context-free aphorism of the ages? Friendly suggestion: you may be making this same mistake when interpreting words in other situations.
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
      - anotherman554 5y ago
        "Your quote would be different advice; it doesn't have the same meaning nor implications." What meanings or implications does the aphorism have other than "some people (fools in this case) shouldn't ever talk?" We've established you think I've misinterpreted the aphorism and that you suspect there's something socially off with me, but we haven't established what you think the aphorism means. Go on, educate me.
- tombert 5y ago
  Heh, I certainly didn't mean to insult anyone...I've always thought it was advice, though I realize that I could easily be wrong on that.
- pharke 5y ago
  It reads more like a humorous and self-deprecating aphorism to me. He was a comedian after all.
psyc 5y ago
This seems like a riff on Proverbs: "Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues."
- frosted-flakes 5y ago
  This is why people like Queen Elizabeth (specifically, not the rest of the royal family) are widely held in such high regard. She rarely makes any comments about anything that could be discerned as political, and as a result she has stayed largely neutral. Even people like my dad, who is highly conservative and vocally dislikes all celbrities, still thinks she's a saint. I'm not convinced—she keeps her mouth shut because she's done for if she makes a fuss about anything.
  - singingboyo 5y ago
    I generally agree, though I don't think the "saintliness" even matters. The queen as seen by the public is probably a persona, sure, but so long as the persona stays put, she's a symbol of stability, and that is the whole point of the monarchy. This even shows up in tech - Bill Gates isn't exactly known for widespread political opinions, and while we all know he was probably not a great person early on, he's now generally contributing to universally approved causes, and otherwise just there, so to some extent he's a symbol of the possibilities available through tech. Meanwhile, you've got Elon, who I think would be reasonably similar - if he could stay the hell off Twitter and stop overpromising so goddamn often. He could have ended up as a symbol for the commercial space revolution and the surge of EV popularity, but instead he's polarising and often hated. Generally, polarisation isn't great for authority figures. Even in politics this is sort of true - relatively centrist parties often have broader appeal than extreme views. (Though because politicians are our means of changing things, there's also an aversion to politicians with no opinions at all.)
    - Clubber 5y ago
      >he was probably not a great person early on, he's now generally contributing to universally approved causes, and otherwise just there, so to some extent he's a symbol of the possibilities available through tech. You probably haven't been following Gates lately. His reputation has tarnished in the last couple of years.
Zababa 5y ago
I don't really like this quote. Lots of smart people often explain that they ask "stupid" questions and that it's important to get over your shame of being stupid. Questions change you from having a passive role to an active role in understanding. Maybe making the difference between "questions" and "commentary" would be a useful start?

daptaq 5y ago

Takes one to know one.

SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
It kind of seems like you are trying to pick a fight with Mark Twain.
- chasd00 5y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URWLnOJ25uA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URWLnOJ25uA
  - SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
    Swish! (That's amazing.)

anotherman554 5y ago

I'm pretty sure that quote is an insult and not good faith advise.

fantod 5y ago
Personally, I always read it as "advice" rather than as an insult. Unfortunately, can't seem to find much context for that quote so it's hard to determine what was intended.
- anotherman554 5y ago
  Apparently Mark Twain never said it. If the quote stated "If you are ignorant on a topic it's better not to discuss it" that would be advise. (Though less quippy). But I read the quote as essentially saying: "You are so incredibly stupid you should never, ever attempt to speak to another human being ever again, on any conceivable subject". But maybe some people don't take it that way.
  - useragent86 5y ago
    > Apparently Mark Twain never said it. The advice has been written and uttered in various forms for millennia. > If the quote stated "If you are ignorant on a topic it's better not to discuss it" that would be advise. (Though less quippy). Your quote would be different advice; it doesn't have the same meaning nor implications. > But I read the quote as essentially saying: "You are so incredibly stupid you should never, ever attempt to speak to another human being ever again, on any conceivable subject". How many of your personal experiences are you reading into a context-free aphorism of the ages? Friendly suggestion: you may be making this same mistake when interpreting words in other situations.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - anotherman554 5y ago
      "Your quote would be different advice; it doesn't have the same meaning nor implications." What meanings or implications does the aphorism have other than "some people (fools in this case) shouldn't ever talk?" We've established you think I've misinterpreted the aphorism and that you suspect there's something socially off with me, but we haven't established what you think the aphorism means. Go on, educate me.
tombert 5y ago
Heh, I certainly didn't mean to insult anyone...I've always thought it was advice, though I realize that I could easily be wrong on that.
pharke 5y ago
It reads more like a humorous and self-deprecating aphorism to me. He was a comedian after all.

psyc 5y ago

This seems like a riff on Proverbs: "Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues."

frosted-flakes 5y ago
This is why people like Queen Elizabeth (specifically, not the rest of the royal family) are widely held in such high regard. She rarely makes any comments about anything that could be discerned as political, and as a result she has stayed largely neutral. Even people like my dad, who is highly conservative and vocally dislikes all celbrities, still thinks she's a saint. I'm not convinced—she keeps her mouth shut because she's done for if she makes a fuss about anything.
- singingboyo 5y ago
  I generally agree, though I don't think the "saintliness" even matters. The queen as seen by the public is probably a persona, sure, but so long as the persona stays put, she's a symbol of stability, and that is the whole point of the monarchy. This even shows up in tech - Bill Gates isn't exactly known for widespread political opinions, and while we all know he was probably not a great person early on, he's now generally contributing to universally approved causes, and otherwise just there, so to some extent he's a symbol of the possibilities available through tech. Meanwhile, you've got Elon, who I think would be reasonably similar - if he could stay the hell off Twitter and stop overpromising so goddamn often. He could have ended up as a symbol for the commercial space revolution and the surge of EV popularity, but instead he's polarising and often hated. Generally, polarisation isn't great for authority figures. Even in politics this is sort of true - relatively centrist parties often have broader appeal than extreme views. (Though because politicians are our means of changing things, there's also an aversion to politicians with no opinions at all.)
  - Clubber 5y ago
    >he was probably not a great person early on, he's now generally contributing to universally approved causes, and otherwise just there, so to some extent he's a symbol of the possibilities available through tech. You probably haven't been following Gates lately. His reputation has tarnished in the last couple of years.

Zababa 5y ago

I don't really like this quote. Lots of smart people often explain that they ask "stupid" questions and that it's important to get over your shame of being stupid. Questions change you from having a passive role to an active role in understanding. Maybe making the difference between "questions" and "commentary" would be a useful start?