--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never argue with a drunk or a fool." description: "\"Never argue with a drunk or a fool.\" — Aaron Sorkin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/aaron-sorkin-2826_argue_never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool-31815_3181572.png" --- # Never argue with a drunk or a fool. ![“Never argue with a drunk or a fool.” quote by Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/aaron-sorkin-2826_argue_never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool-31815_3181572.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/aaron-sorkin-2826_argue_never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool-31815_3181572.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/aaron-sorkin-2826_argue_never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool-31815_3181572.png) > “Never argue with a drunk or a fool.” [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Engaging a drunk or fool in debate wastes time and escalates conflict. **In simple terms:** Don’t argue with irrational people. Key Takeaway Avoid futile arguments. Themes communication conflict logic Mood cautious pragmatic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political debates - online forums - family discussions - public speaking Key Concepts rational discourse emotional intelligence argumentation Questions to Reflect On - When is it worth confronting irrationality? - How can you de‑escalate a heated exchange? A Different Perspective Sometimes a brief correction can prevent harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue/) [Argue Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue-drunk-5832400/) [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [Drunk Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk-fool-5832401/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [A wise man told me don't argue with fools. Cause people from a distance can't tell who is who.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/a-wise-man-told-me-don-t-argue-with-fools-cause-people-from-a/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [You can argue with someone's opinion, but you can't argue with their story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-cruz/you-can-argue-with-someone-s-opinion-but-you-can-t-argue-with-their/) [Nicky Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-cruz/) > [You can't argue with a raging want. You can, but it is useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-jameson/you-can-t-argue-with-a-raging-want-you-can-but-it-is-useless/) [Storm Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-jameson/) > [Still, it is an error to argue in front of your data. You can find yourself insensibly twisting them round to suit your theories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/still-it-is-an-error-to-argue-in-front-of-your-data-you-can-find/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [I tend not to argue about things that I don't believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/i-tend-not-to-argue-about-things-that-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Your friend will argue with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/your-friend-will-argue-with-you/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [I think you are wrong, Basil, but I won't argue with you. It is only the intellectually lost who ever argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-think-you-are-wrong-basil-but-i-won-t-argue-with-you-it-is-only-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Marriage is a reflection of your life in general: how you treat people, how you argue, how secure you are in your own thoughts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/marriage-is-a-reflection-of-your-life-in-general-how-you-treat-people/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [Im a soulless lawyer. Give me any opinion and I can argue it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/im-a-soulless-lawyer-give-me-any-opinion-and-i-can-argue-it/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) > [Sharing with just your friends doesn't protect your privacy. I know the people at Facebook will disagree and argue that users can control what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-parr/sharing-with-just-your-friends-doesn-t-protect-your-privacy-i-know/) [Ben Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-parr/) > [There is no need to argue if an experiment can be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/there-is-no-need-to-argue-if-an-experiment-can-be-made/) [Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [I had hoped you would protest, but please don't argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lotte-lehmann/i-had-hoped-you-would-protest-but-please-don-t-argue/) [Lotte Lehmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lotte-lehmann/) ## More by Aaron Sorkin > [Conflict, when used as a device, makes for good television and bad journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/conflict-when-used-as-a-device-makes-for-good-television-and-bad/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Film doesn't have to worry. Movies are awesome. There's no war going on, theaters aren't going to lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/film-doesn-t-have-to-worry-movies-are-awesome-there-s-no-war-going-on/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [People don't live their lives in a series of scenes that form a dramatic narrative, they don't speak in dialogue, they're not lit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/people-don-t-live-their-lives-in-a-series-of-scenes-that-form-a/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [One of the biggest challenges in the past for me in working on the networks was that audiences have grown accustomed to television being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-in-the-past-for-me-in-working-on-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [You're going to fall down, but the world doesn't care how many times you fall down, as long as it's one fewer than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/you-re-going-to-fall-down-but-the-world-doesn-t-care-how-many-times/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [We live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/we-live-in-a-world-that-has-walls-and-those-walls-have-to-be-guarded/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [As an audience member, I like the sound of something that's been written - I like it to sound written. And then, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/as-an-audience-member-i-like-the-sound-of-something-that-s-been/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [She's a person; the doctor pronounces her dead, not the news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/she-s-a-person-the-doctor-pronounces-her-dead-not-the-news/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [It's nice that HBO is in business with the audience and not with the advertisers. There's a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-s-nice-that-hbo-is-in-business-with-the-audience-and-not-with-the/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [“TOBY: The world can move or not by changing some words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/toby-the-world-can-move-or-not-by-changing-some-words/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I had never thought of doing television. But my agent wanted me to meet John Wells, who had had a lot of success producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/i-had-never-thought-of-doing-television-but-my-agent-wanted-me-to/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Government should be a place where people can come together, and no one gets left behind. No one…gets left behind. An instrument of good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/government-should-be-a-place-where-people-can-come-together-and-no/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Television from its inception had the number one goal to alienate as few people as possible. That's why if you look at 1950s, 1960s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/television-from-its-inception-had-the-number-one-goal-to-alienate-as/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Josh: So, Toby, it’s election night. What do you say about a country that goes out of its way to protect even those citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/josh-so-toby-it-s-election-night-what-do-you-say-about-a-country-that/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [The hardest thing for me is getting started. If I'm writing a script, really 90 per cent of it would be just walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/the-hardest-thing-for-me-is-getting-started-if-i-m-writing-a-script/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) [Explore all 148 Aaron Sorkin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) ## More Argue quotes > [I'd rather argue with you than kiss someone else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fad-ibra/i-d-rather-argue-with-you-than-kiss-someone-else/) [Fad Ibra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fad-ibra/) > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [“But that is not true for all folk. Some folk are meant to argue with fate. And win.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/but-that-is-not-true-for-all-folk-some-folk-are-meant-to-argue-with/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/argue-for-your-limitations-and-sure-enough-they-re-yours/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [I like the fact that we argue but in the end we come together again realising how much we each need the other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine/i-like-the-fact-that-we-argue-but-in-the-end-we-come-together-again/) [Josephine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Has learned that sometimes it is just easier to agree with someone, than to argue a stupid point they think they have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/has-learned-that-sometimes-it-is-just-easier-to-agree-with-someone/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [If you dont know, please ask. If you dont agree, argue. If you dont like it, please say it. But don't sit there quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-dont-know-please-ask-if-you-dont-agree-argue-if-you-dont-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America gave the world the notion of the melting pot - an alchemical cooking device wherein diverse ethnic and religious groups voluntarily mix together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/america-gave-the-world-the-notion-of-the-melting-pot-an-alchemical/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [Don't worry when I argue with you. Worry when I stop because it means there's nothing left to fight for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-worry-when-i-argue-with-you-worry-when-i-stop-because-it-means/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Be quick to resolve conflicts before they mature to become wars. The energetic crocodile was once a delicate egg!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/be-quick-to-resolve-conflicts-before-they-mature-to-become-wars-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I taught my executive team how to argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-mulally/i-taught-my-executive-team-how-to-argue/) [Alan Mulally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-mulally/) > [“People argue between Pele or Maradona. Di Stéfano is the best, much more complete.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/people-argue-between-pele-or-maradona-di-st-fano-is-the-best-much/) [Pelé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [“The more women argue, loudly, against feminism, the more they both prove it exists and that they enjoy its hard-won privileges.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/the-more-women-argue-loudly-against-feminism-the-more-they-both-prove/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) [Browse all 642 Argue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argue/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never argue with a drunk or a fool.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aaron Sorkin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Argue" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/aaron-sorkin-2826_argue_never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool-31815_3181572.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/aaron-sorkin-2826_argue_never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool-31815_3181572.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/aaron-sorkin-2826_argue_never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool-31815_3181572.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Never argue with a drunk or a fool.” — Aaron Sorkin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aaron Sorkin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Never argue with a drunk or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/never-argue-with-a-drunk-or-a-fool/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```