--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clever people will recognize and tolerate…" description: "\"Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness.\" — Henri Frederic Amiel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_clever_clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerat_577513.png" --- # Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but… ![“Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness.” quote by Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_clever_clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerat_577513.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_clever_clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerat_577513.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_clever_clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerat_577513.png) > “Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness.” [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence must be paired with humility; otherwise cleverness becomes a barrier to genuine understanding. **In simple terms:** Cleverness alone isn’t enough. Key Takeaway Balance wit with openness. Themes intelligence humility communication Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership - teamwork - education - conflict resolution Key Concepts cognitive bias ego critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - When does cleverness hinder progress? - How can we value substance over style? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on cleverness can alienate others and stifle collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Clever People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“I don't know." That was typical Sajaki; like all the genuinely clever people Sylveste had met he knew better than to feign understanding where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-don-t-know-that-was-typical-sajaki-like-all-the-genuinely-clever/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can’t go anywhere without meeting clever people. The thing has become an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-am-sick-to-death-of-cleverness-everybody-is-clever-nowadays-you-can/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“The clever people likes foolish because they knows how to take advantage of their foolishness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-toora/the-clever-people-likes-foolish-because-they-knows-how-to-take/) [Sammy Toora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-toora/) > [One begins to mistrust very clever people when they become embarrassed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/one-begins-to-mistrust-very-clever-people-when-they-become-embarrassed/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can't go anywhere without meeting clever people. The thing has become an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-am-sick-to-death-of-cleverness-everybody-is-clever-nowadays-you-can-2/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Clever people are always the best conversations lexicon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/clever-people-are-always-the-best-conversations-lexicon/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Man is a rational animal—so at least I have been told. … Aristotle, so far as I know, was the first man to proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/man-is-a-rational-animal-so-at-least-i-have-been-told-aristotle-so/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I am trying to write novels for properly clever people, but I also want them to be proper novels that also stick in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hannah/i-am-trying-to-write-novels-for-properly-clever-people-but-i-also/) [Sophie Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hannah/) > [Sometimes all you need to do to win clever people over to a principle is to present it in the form of a shocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/sometimes-all-you-need-to-do-to-win-clever-people-over-to-a-principle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humor is important. If you're going to tell any sort of realistic story, you're going to have to have humor in it, because people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/humor-is-important-if-you-re-going-to-tell-any-sort-of-realistic/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [As so often happens in philosophy, clever people accept a false general principle on a priori grounds and then devote endless labour and ingenuity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-broad/as-so-often-happens-in-philosophy-clever-people-accept-a-false/) [C. D. Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-broad/) > [“Clever people are entertaining and stupid ones give me such a pleasant sense of superiority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-bristow/clever-people-are-entertaining-and-stupid-ones-give-me-such-a/) [Gwen Bristow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-bristow/) > [The inspiration comes from everywhere, from what I grew up with. There's so much silliness and nonsense in the world that we regard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/the-inspiration-comes-from-everywhere-from-what-i-grew-up-with-there/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [I wish I were one of those terribly clever people who, when they write their autobiographies, always say, when I was fifteen months old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-seaton/i-wish-i-were-one-of-those-terribly-clever-people-who-when-they-write/) [George Seaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-seaton/) > [Capable people do not understand incapacity; clever people do not understand stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/capable-people-do-not-understand-incapacity-clever-people-do-not/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## More by Henri Frederic Amiel > [There is only one way of not hating those who do us wrong, and that is by doing them good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/there-is-only-one-way-of-not-hating-those-who-do-us-wrong-and-that-is/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Latent genius is but a presumption. Everything that can be, is bound to come into being, and what never comes into being is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/latent-genius-is-but-a-presumption-everything-that-can-be-is-bound-to/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Order is power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/order-is-power/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Knowledge, love, power-there is the complete life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/knowledge-love-power-there-is-the-complete-life/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/life-is-short-and-we-have-never-too-much-time-for-gladdening-the/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Each bud flowers but once and each flower has but its minute of perfect beauty; so, in the garden of the soul each feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/each-bud-flowers-but-once-and-each-flower-has-but-its-minute-of/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [We are never more discontented with others than when we are discontented with ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/we-are-never-more-discontented-with-others-than-when-we-are/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Only evil grows of itself, while for goodness we want effort and courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/only-evil-grows-of-itself-while-for-goodness-we-want-effort-and/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/a-man-must-be-able-to-cut-a-knot-for-everything-cannot-be-untied-he/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Our greatest illusion is to believe that we are what we think ourselves to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/our-greatest-illusion-is-to-believe-that-we-are-what-we-think/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/charm-is-the-quality-in-others-that-makes-us-more-satisfied-with/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [The philosopher aspires to explain away all mysteries, to dissolve them into light. Mystery on the other hand is demanded and pursued by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/the-philosopher-aspires-to-explain-away-all-mysteries-to-dissolve/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [The growth and development of the soul is more important than power and glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/the-growth-and-development-of-the-soul-is-more-important-than-power/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature... is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/he-who-asks-of-life-nothing-but-the-improvement-of-his-own-nature-is/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Christianity, if it is to triumph over pantheism, must absorb it. To our pusillanimous eyes Jesus would have borne the marks of a hateful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/christianity-if-it-is-to-triumph-over-pantheism-must-absorb-it-to-our/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) [Explore all 262 Henri Frederic Amiel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) ## More Clever quotes > [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“There was once an old but clever donkey, who never liked the sting of any bee, Nor for all the Slung mud, did he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/there-was-once-an-old-but-clever-donkey-who-never-liked-the-sting-of/) [Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/) > [ There was another reason \[she\] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-books-whenever-they-went-away/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [If she is stupid enough to let you go, you're clever enough not to look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-she-is-stupid-enough-to-let-you-go-you-re-clever-enough-not-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Need to go to the pharmacy, because I'm so sick!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-matthews/need-to-go-to-the-pharmacy-because-i-m-so-sick/) Tasha Matthews > [My valour is certainly going! - it is sneaking off! - I feel it oozing out as it were at the palms of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/my-valour-is-certainly-going-it-is-sneaking-off-i-feel-it-oozing-out/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > ['I Love You' fails to sum up all the memories, smiles, laughs, trials, and tribulations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/i-love-you-fails-to-sum-up-all-the-memories-smiles-laughs-trials-and/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [People may say that what I do is very clever, but it's not really at all. It's not Swift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/people-may-say-that-what-i-do-is-very-clever-but-it-s-not-really-at/) [Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Regrets are like mistresses," he informed her. "I ..." Her hand dropped from the handle. "What?" "Good men don't have them." She blinked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-johnson/regrets-are-like-mistresses-he-informed-her-i-her-hand-dropped-from/) [Alissa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-johnson/) > [I love clever lyrics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-hayes/i-love-clever-lyrics/) [Walker Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-hayes/) [Browse all 2,116 Clever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henri Frederic Amiel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerate-nothing-but-cleverness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clever" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerate-nothing-but-cleverness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_clever_clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerat_577513.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_clever_clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerat_577513.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/915/henri-frederic-amiel-1276_clever_clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerat_577513.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness.” — Henri Frederic Amiel", "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": "Henri Frederic Amiel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Clever people will recognize and tolerate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerate-nothing-but-cleverness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerate-nothing-but-cleverness/#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 } } ] } ```