--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Foolish people are never harmless…" description: "\"Foolish people are never harmless. Stupidity accounts for as many crimes as anger and greed.\" — Louise Penny" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/louise-penny-1059_accounts_foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupid_1242949.png" --- # Foolish people are never harmless. Stupidity accounts for… ![“Foolish people are never harmless. Stupidity accounts for as many crimes as anger and greed.” quote by Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/louise-penny-1059_accounts_foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupid_1242949.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/louise-penny-1059_accounts_foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupid_1242949.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/louise-penny-1059_accounts_foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupid_1242949.png) > “Foolish people are never harmless. Stupidity accounts for as many crimes as anger and greed.” [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Foolishness can be dangerous, causing harm comparable to anger or greed. **In simple terms:** Stupidity can be as harmful as other vices. Key Takeaway Cultivate critical thinking. Themes human nature danger behavior Mood concerned informative Type social philosophical When to use this quote - education - workplace safety - parenting - public policy Key Concepts psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we reduce harmful foolishness? - What role does education play? A Different Perspective Not all foolish actions result in serious harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Foolish people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-people/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Harmless Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmless-stupidity-3887010/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity/) [Stupidity Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupidity-accounts-3887011/) ## Related quotes > [There are many foolish people in the world and when a man in a rather high position puts on no frills, slaps them on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-are-many-foolish-people-in-the-world-and-when-a-man-in-a-rather/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/sometimes-one-likes-foolish-people-for-their-folly-better-than-wise/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [Foolish people have fool's luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/foolish-people-have-fool-s-luck/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wise people speak because they have something to say;Foolish people speak because they have to say something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wise-people-speak-because-they-have-something-to-say-foolish-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To succeed inside a political party, one must cultivate an ability to sit still and remain polite while foolish people speak nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-blackwell/to-succeed-inside-a-political-party-one-must-cultivate-an-ability-to/) [Morton Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-blackwell/) > [It's strange what desire will make foolish people do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-strange-what-desire-will-make-foolish-people-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im one of those foolish people who believe the glory days of the record industry arent behind us. Theyre actually ahead of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-reid/im-one-of-those-foolish-people-who-believe-the-glory-days-of-the/) [L.A. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-reid/) > [Some of the most foolish people are some of the most vocal people because they have no filter for their thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-of-the-most-foolish-people-are-some-of-the-most-vocal-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Riches are the pettiest and least worthy gifts which God can give a man. What are they to God's Word, to bodily gifts, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/riches-are-the-pettiest-and-least-worthy-gifts-which-god-can-give-a/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Arrogance is believing that truth is negotiable and fact is flexible. And to act on those beliefs is to breed an insanity that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/arrogance-is-believing-that-truth-is-negotiable-and-fact-is-flexible/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“I'm in a hole because at some point I found a shovel and started digging. Maybe I should trade my shovels for ladders and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-m-in-a-hole-because-at-some-point-i-found-a-shovel-and-started/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Those who understood, in fact, say: 'I mustn't do this, I mustn't do that,' so as not to commit some stupidity or other! Splendid!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/those-who-understood-in-fact-say-i-mustn-t-do-this-i-mustn-t-do-that/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. Katika Biblia, Musa aliitwa mjinga alipokiuka amri ya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-hutumia-watu-wajinga-na-wapumbavu-kufanya-mambo-makubwa-katika/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [“Never be afraid to offer a smile; sure the risk is that a few foolish people may misinterpret your kindness as weakness, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/never-be-afraid-to-offer-a-smile-sure-the-risk-is-that-a-few-foolish/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) ## More by Louise Penny > [“Whale oil beef hooked,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/whale-oil-beef-hooked/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“I am tired,” Gamache murmured as he walked into the gentle little village. “But I am at peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/i-am-tired-gamache-murmured-as-he-walked-into-the-gentle-little/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“The reason “belonging” was so potent, so attractive, so much a part of the human yearning, was that it also meant safety, and loyalty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-reason-belonging-was-so-potent-so-attractive-so-much-a-part-of/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“She picked up her book and tried to read but it was heavy in her hands. She struggled to hold it, wanting to finish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/she-picked-up-her-book-and-tried-to-read-but-it-was-heavy-in-her/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“We’re used to the film versions of psychopaths. The clearly crazies. But most psychopaths are clever. They have to be. They know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/we-re-used-to-the-film-versions-of-psychopaths-the-clearly-crazies/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Instead he stood erect, the snow insinuating itself down his collar and up his sleeves, plastering against his face and into his unblinking eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/instead-he-stood-erect-the-snow-insinuating-itself-down-his-collar/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“He was an emotional communist. Everyone counted equally, but none too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/he-was-an-emotional-communist-everyone-counted-equally-but-none-too/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [I turned down all the requests for the rights to the books, for years, mostly because they wanted the rights to the characters, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/i-turned-down-all-the-requests-for-the-rights-to-the-books-for-years/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Chief Superintendent Arnot might hold power, but Armand Gamache was the more powerful man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/chief-superintendent-arnot-might-hold-power-but-armand-gamache-was/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Henri kept everything important in his heart. He mostly kept cookies in his head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/henri-kept-everything-important-in-his-heart-he-mostly-kept-cookies/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [A good journalist, as you know, is a great listener. And so's a good writer. And I got to listen to people for almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/a-good-journalist-as-you-know-is-a-great-listener-and-so-s-a-good/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [The question that haunted every investigation was 'why'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-question-that-haunted-every-investigation-was-why/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [But, like peace, comfort didn't come from hiding away or running away. Comfort first demanded courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/but-like-peace-comfort-didn-t-come-from-hiding-away-or-running-away/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“He did not suggest that she sit quietly and get to know herself so she could be all the company she needed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/he-did-not-suggest-that-she-sit-quietly-and-get-to-know-herself-so/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Come hither, all ye empty things,/Ye bubbles raised by breath of kings;/Who float upon the tide of state,/Come hither, and behold your fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/come-hither-all-ye-empty-things-ye-bubbles-raised-by-breath-of-kings/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) [Explore all 295 Louise Penny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) ## More Accounts quotes > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [I had a very blessed journey with the upbringing I had. When you're working on sets as a stuntman, you have a firsthand account…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-roman-waugh/i-had-a-very-blessed-journey-with-the-upbringing-i-had-when-you-re/) [Ric Roman Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-roman-waugh/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-ve-got-to-exercise-your-health-account-your-bank-account-they-re/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [God puts you where God needs you. You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/) [Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/) > [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [Anyone who thinks science is trying to make human life easier or more pleasant is utterly mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/anyone-who-thinks-science-is-trying-to-make-human-life-easier-or-more/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) [Browse all 2,677 Accounts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Foolish people are never harmless. Stupidity accounts for as many crimes as anger and greed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louise Penny" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupidity-accounts-for-as-many/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accounts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupidity-accounts-for-as-many/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/louise-penny-1059_accounts_foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupid_1242949.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/louise-penny-1059_accounts_foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupid_1242949.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e7/louise-penny-1059_accounts_foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupid_1242949.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Foolish people are never harmless. Stupidity accounts for as many crimes as anger and greed.” — Louise Penny", "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": "Louise Penny", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Foolish people are never harmless. Stupidity...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupidity-accounts-for-as-many/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/foolish-people-are-never-harmless-stupidity-accounts-for-as-many/#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 } } ] } ```