--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is small disproportion betwixt a…" description: "\"There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it not when it should avail him.\" — Elizabeth I" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/elizabeth-i-3475_disproportion_there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-f_776186.jpg" --- # There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not… ![“There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it not when it should avail him.” quote by Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/elizabeth-i-3475_disproportion_there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-f_776186.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/elizabeth-i-3475_disproportion_there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-f_776186.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/elizabeth-i-3475_disproportion_there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-f_776186.jpg) > “There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it not when it should avail him.” [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence is wasted when not used; those who lack wit ignore it, while those who have it but don’t apply it miss opportunities. **In simple terms:** Wasting wit leads to missed chances. Key Takeaway Apply your intelligence rather than ignoring it. Themes wisdom intelligence opportunity Mood thoughtful cautionary Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - career planning - academic study - strategic negotiations Key Concepts cognitive bias decision making Questions to Reflect On - When have you ignored a useful insight? - How can you balance wit with humility? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on intellect can neglect emotional insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Foolishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolishness/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) ## Related quotes > [The great proof of madness is the disproportion of one's designs to one's means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-great-proof-of-madness-is-the-disproportion-of-one-s-designs-to/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [It is comforting to reflect that the disproportion of things in the world seems to be only arithmetical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/it-is-comforting-to-reflect-that-the-disproportion-of-things-in-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Why is it not just as likely that there were as many small general nearly at first as now, and as great a disproportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-gray/why-is-it-not-just-as-likely-that-there-were-as-many-small-general/) [Asa Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-gray/) > [“There is far too great a disproportion between what one is and what others think one is, or at least what they say they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/there-is-far-too-great-a-disproportion-between-what-one-is-and-what/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Senator Douglas was very small, not over four and a half feet height, and there was a noticeable disproportion between the long trunk of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-villard/senator-douglas-was-very-small-not-over-four-and-a-half-feet-height/) [Henry Villard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-villard/) > [In the foolishness lies the danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-torrijos/in-the-foolishness-lies-the-danger/) Omar Torrijos > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [A fool without fear is sometimes wiser than an angel with fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-fool-without-fear-is-sometimes-wiser-than-an-angel-with-fear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“The magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men — who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-magi-as-you-know-were-wise-men-wonderfully-wise-men-who-brought/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. ... I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-wish-you-a-wrestling-match-with-your-creative-muse-that-will-last-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [You can never understand why people do stupid things for love, Unless you, yourself experience how it is to be in LOVE...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-never-understand-why-people-do-stupid-things-for-love-unless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She shrugged. “I fell. I’m a clumsy fool.” “I know how you feel. I’m such a fool I knocked half my teeth out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/she-shrugged-i-fell-i-m-a-clumsy-fool-i-know-how-you-feel-i-m-such-a/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/one-may-have-been-a-fool-but-there-s-no-foolishness-like-being-bitter/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More by Elizabeth I > [Affection! Affection is false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/affection-affection-is-false/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [It is monstrous that the feet should direct the head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/it-is-monstrous-that-the-feet-should-direct-the-head/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [I cannot find it in me to fear a man who took ten years a learning of his alphabet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-cannot-find-it-in-me-to-fear-a-man-who-took-ten-years-a-learning-of/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [I grieve and dare not show my discontent, I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, I do, yet dare not say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-grieve-and-dare-not-show-my-discontent-i-love-and-yet-am-forced-to/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [I have no desire to make windows into men's souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-have-no-desire-to-make-windows-into-men-s-souls/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/let-tyrants-fear-i-have-always-so-behaved-myself-that-under-god-i/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [I would not open windows into men's souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-would-not-open-windows-into-men-s-souls/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The name of a successor is like the tolling of my own death-bell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/the-name-of-a-successor-is-like-the-tolling-of-my-own-death-bell/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Had I been crested, not cloven, my Lords, you had not treated me thus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/had-i-been-crested-not-cloven-my-lords-you-had-not-treated-me-thus/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [I pluck up the good lissome herbs of sentences by pruning, eat them by reading, digest them by musing, and lay them up at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-pluck-up-the-good-lissome-herbs-of-sentences-by-pruning-eat-them-by/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Eyes of youth have sharp sight but commonly not so deep as those of elder age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/eyes-of-youth-have-sharp-sight-but-commonly-not-so-deep-as-those-of/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be-2/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [It has been always held for a special principle in friendship that prosperity provideth but adversity proveth friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/it-has-been-always-held-for-a-special-principle-in-friendship-that/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [There is a close tie of affection between sovereigns and their subjects; and as chaste wives should have no eyes but for their husbands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/there-is-a-close-tie-of-affection-between-sovereigns-and-their/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) [Explore all 130 Elizabeth I quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) ## More Disproportion quotes > [Senator Douglas was very small, not over four and a half feet height, and there was a noticeable disproportion between the long trunk of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-villard/senator-douglas-was-very-small-not-over-four-and-a-half-feet-height/) [Henry Villard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-villard/) > [“There is far too great a disproportion between what one is and what others think one is, or at least what they say they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/there-is-far-too-great-a-disproportion-between-what-one-is-and-what/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Why is it not just as likely that there were as many small general nearly at first as now, and as great a disproportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-gray/why-is-it-not-just-as-likely-that-there-were-as-many-small-general/) [Asa Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-gray/) > [It is comforting to reflect that the disproportion of things in the world seems to be only arithmetical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/it-is-comforting-to-reflect-that-the-disproportion-of-things-in-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The great proof of madness is the disproportion of one's designs to one's means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-great-proof-of-madness-is-the-disproportion-of-one-s-designs-to/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) Browse all 6 Disproportion quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it not when it should avail him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth I" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-fool-who-useth-not-wit-because/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disproportion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-fool-who-useth-not-wit-because/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/elizabeth-i-3475_disproportion_there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-f_776186.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/elizabeth-i-3475_disproportion_there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-f_776186.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/elizabeth-i-3475_disproportion_there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-f_776186.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is small disproportion betwixt a fool who useth not wit because he hath it not and him that useth it…” — Elizabeth I", "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": "Elizabeth I", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is small disproportion betwixt a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-fool-who-useth-not-wit-because/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/there-is-small-disproportion-betwixt-a-fool-who-useth-not-wit-because/#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 } } ] } ```