--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No man is so much a fool as not to have…" description: "\"No man is so much a fool as not to have wit enough sometimes to be a knave; nor any so cunning a knave as not to have the weakness sometimes to play th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/george-savile-23418_cunning_no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have_1983835.jpg" --- # No man is so much a fool as not to have wit enough… ![“No man is so much a fool as not to have wit enough sometimes to be a knave; nor any so cunning a knave as not to have the weakness sometimes to play the fool.” quote by George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/george-savile-23418_cunning_no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have_1983835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/george-savile-23418_cunning_no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have_1983835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/george-savile-23418_cunning_no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have_1983835.jpg) > “No man is so much a fool as not to have wit enough sometimes to be a knave; nor any so cunning a knave as not to have the weakness sometimes to play the fool.” [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A fool lacks wit, while a cunning knave may act foolishly; both are flawed. **In simple terms:** Both stupidity and cunning can be foolish. Key Takeaway Balance wit with humility. Themes wisdom folly deception Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - political discourse - personal relationships - leadership decisions - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - Can cleverness hide ignorance? - When does deception become self‑defeating? A Different Perspective Cunning can mask true incompetence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/) [Cunning Knave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning-knave-3402892/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Fool Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool-wit-3402890/) [Knave Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knave-cunning-3402891/) [Man Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-fool/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play The Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-the-fool/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) [Wit Knave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit-knave-3402893/) ## Related quotes > [He's a fool that marries, but he's a greater that does not marry a fool; what is wit in a wife good for, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-that-does-not-marry-a/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Yet here I stand poor fool what more, not one wit wiser than before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/yet-here-i-stand-poor-fool-what-more-not-one-wit-wiser-than-before/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Sometimes we meet a fool with wit, never one with discretion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/sometimes-we-meet-a-fool-with-wit-never-one-with-discretion/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Thus we play the fool with the time and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thus-we-play-the-fool-with-the-time-and-the-spirits-of-the-wise-sit/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“If wisdom's silence then it's time to play the fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kraus/if-wisdom-s-silence-then-it-s-time-to-play-the-fool/) [Chris Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kraus/) > [Hard times only make us closer. To play the fool I'm not. We gone to far to stop cause I promise that it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letoya-luckett/hard-times-only-make-us-closer-to-play-the-fool-i-m-not-we-gone-to/) [Letoya Luckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letoya-luckett/) > [That scared has left a bad effect towards our love! Wish I can find were I went wrong and fix it, before it become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/that-scared-has-left-a-bad-effect-towards-our-love-wish-i-can-find/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I'll suffer no daughter of mine to play the fool with her heart, indeed! She shall marry for the purpose for which matrimony was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-edmonstone-ferrier/i-ll-suffer-no-daughter-of-mine-to-play-the-fool-with-her-heart/) [Susan Edmonstone Ferrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-edmonstone-ferrier/) > [“He is a romantic, a dreamer, and never afraid to play the fool. He is fearless and reckless and brave and I love him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-jay/he-is-a-romantic-a-dreamer-and-never-afraid-to-play-the-fool-he-is/) [Stacey Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-jay/) > [Ladies, some guys are always casting for someone to play the fool, make sure you're not auditioning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ladies-some-guys-are-always-casting-for-someone-to-play-the-fool-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we play the fool, how wideThe theatre expands! beside,How long the audience sits before us!How many prompters! what a chorus!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/when-we-play-the-fool-how-widethe-theatre-expands-beside-how-long-the/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [This fellow is wise enough to play the fool; And to do that well craves a kind of wit: He must observe their mood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/this-fellow-is-wise-enough-to-play-the-fool-and-to-do-that-well/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It might be argued, that to be a knave is the gift of fortune, but to play the fool to advantage it is necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/it-might-be-argued-that-to-be-a-knave-is-the-gift-of-fortune-but-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Anticipated rents, and bills unpaid, Force many a shining youth into the shade, Not to redeem his time, but his estate, And play the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/anticipated-rents-and-bills-unpaid-force-many-a-shining-youth-into/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More by George Savile > [Most men's anger about religion is as if two men should quarrel for a lady that neither of them care for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/most-men-s-anger-about-religion-is-as-if-two-men-should-quarrel-for-a/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Many men swallow the being cheated, but no man can ever endure to chew it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/many-men-swallow-the-being-cheated-but-no-man-can-ever-endure-to-chew/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Our nature hardly allows us to have enough of anything without having too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/our-nature-hardly-allows-us-to-have-enough-of-anything-without-having/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Popularity is a crime from the moment it is sought; it is only a virtue where men have it whether they will or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/popularity-is-a-crime-from-the-moment-it-is-sought-it-is-only-a/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Love is a passion that hath friends in the garrison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/love-is-a-passion-that-hath-friends-in-the-garrison/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Some men's memory is like a box where a man should mingle his jewels with his old shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/some-men-s-memory-is-like-a-box-where-a-man-should-mingle-his-jewels/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [In this Age, when it is said of a man, He knows how to live, it may be implied he is not very honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/in-this-age-when-it-is-said-of-a-man-he-knows-how-to-live-it-may-be/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [There is reason to think the most celebrated philosophers would have been bunglers at business; but the reason is because they despised it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/there-is-reason-to-think-the-most-celebrated-philosophers-would-have/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/a-man-who-is-a-master-of-patience-is-master-of-everything-else/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Malice is of a low stature, but it hath very long arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/malice-is-of-a-low-stature-but-it-hath-very-long-arms/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Laws are generally not understood by three sorts of persons, viz, by those who make them, by those who execute them, and by those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/laws-are-generally-not-understood-by-three-sorts-of-persons-viz-by/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [Hope is generally a wrong guide, though it is good company along the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/hope-is-generally-a-wrong-guide-though-it-is-good-company-along-the/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [The people are never so perfectly backed, but that they will kick and fling if not stroked at seasonable times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/the-people-are-never-so-perfectly-backed-but-that-they-will-kick-and/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [The best way to suppose what may come, is to remember what is past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/the-best-way-to-suppose-what-may-come-is-to-remember-what-is-past/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [They who are of the opinion that Money will do everything, may very well be suspected to do everything for Money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/they-who-are-of-the-opinion-that-money-will-do-everything-may-very/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) [Explore all 25 George Savile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) ## More Cunning quotes > [Charm is a cunning self-forgetfulness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/charm-is-a-cunning-self-forgetfulness/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [Life is a battle of wits, and many people have to fight it unarmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-esar/life-is-a-battle-of-wits-and-many-people-have-to-fight-it-unarmed/) [Evan Esar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-esar/) > [It is a pity that, commonly, more care is had--yea, and that among very wise men--to find out rather a cunning man for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/it-is-a-pity-that-commonly-more-care-is-had-yea-and-that-among-very/) [Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-humanity-and-sincerity-which-dispose-men-to-resist-injustice-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why do some die and some live? The answer was clearly, that on the whole the best fitted live. From the effects of disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-russel-wallace/why-do-some-die-and-some-live-the-answer-was-clearly-that-on-the/) [Alfred Russel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-russel-wallace/) > [Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-is-the-final-cunning-of-the-human-soul-which-would-rather-do/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Treason and murder ever kept together, As two yoke-devils sworn to either's purpose, Working so grossly in a natural cause That admiration did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/treason-and-murder-ever-kept-together-as-two-yoke-devils-sworn-to/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/till-swollen-with-cunning-of-a-self-conceit-his-waxen-wings-did-mount/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Stratagem is the right hand of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/stratagem-is-the-right-hand-of-cunning/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [“When a man possesses the innocence of a child, we call him a fool. When a child possesses the cunning of a man, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/when-a-man-possesses-the-innocence-of-a-child-we-call-him-a-fool-when/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [“Would you like to sit?" Kellen asked her. "You'd better do it soon," Owen whispered close to her ear, "or I'm going to bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/would-you-like-to-sit-kellen-asked-her-you-d-better-do-it-soon-owen/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [I am defined by my will to survive, not by intelligence or cunning or money or good looks. The Creator didn't see her way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/i-am-defined-by-my-will-to-survive-not-by-intelligence-or-cunning-or/) [Jaune Quick–to–See Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaune-quick-to-see-smith/) > [A cunning mind emphatically delights in its own cunning, and is the ready prey of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-brownell-jameson/a-cunning-mind-emphatically-delights-in-its-own-cunning-and-is-the/) [Anna Brownell Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-brownell-jameson/) [Browse all 535 Cunning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No man is so much a fool as not to have wit enough sometimes to be a knave; nor any so cunning a knave as not to have the weakness sometimes to play the fool.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Savile" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have-wit-enough-sometimes-to-be-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cunning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have-wit-enough-sometimes-to-be-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/george-savile-23418_cunning_no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have_1983835.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/george-savile-23418_cunning_no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have_1983835.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/george-savile-23418_cunning_no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have_1983835.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No man is so much a fool as not to have wit enough sometimes to be a knave; nor any so cunning a knave as…” — George Savile", "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": "George Savile", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No man is so much a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have-wit-enough-sometimes-to-be-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/no-man-is-so-much-a-fool-as-not-to-have-wit-enough-sometimes-to-be-a/#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 } } ] } ```