who is a fool? how does it differ from idiot?
2006-11-20 16:27:59 · 31 answers · asked by casovaryboy 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Foolishness is a lack of wisdom, and may be overcome.
Idiocy is a lack of native intelligence, and cannot be cured.
Frivolity is wasting my time with questions about fools and idiots.
2006-11-20 16:30:54 · answer #1 · answered by Gaspode 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think a fool is someone who makes decisions based on what they wish or hope is true instead of assessing situations realistically. An idiot might do the same thing, but the difference is that the fool has the intelligence to make better decisions but just doesn't use it, while an idiot doesn't have the brain power for higher thought.
2006-11-21 22:53:57 · answer #2 · answered by celebduath 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A fool is someone who does a foolish thing IE makes a obvious stupid decision or performs a silly action. An Idiot is some one who does this time and time again and expects a different outcome!
2006-11-21 07:48:49 · answer #3 · answered by Jim G 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A fool does not know that he can be idiotic all the time. An idiot acts foolish at times, and more so due to adamant attitude or force of habit.
2006-11-21 08:39:30 · answer #4 · answered by Spiritualseeker 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Try a good etymological dictionary for 'fool'. It actually relates to 'folie', and means, in a mild sort of way, 'crazy' (a vague word, of no usefulness, except as an insult.) Middle-English, and even Shakesperean English often found the words 'foolish' and 'fond', or 'fool' and 'love' together.
'Idiot' is actually a 19th Century designation for a certain level of IQ. It's from the French. The French Minister of Education (name eludes me... sorry) who devised the first 'IQ' tests also put labels on groups who fell between certain numbers. That's where we get all these lovely words: 'retard', 'idiot', 'moron', 'cretin'.
One of the greater disservices to humanity, though he was actually trying to help kids with learning difficulties. Labels have a way of sticking and stigmatising.
I could just be a foolish idealist. (Proper use of the word).
2006-11-21 09:04:35 · answer #5 · answered by protectrikz 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A fool may do it out of false hope. An idiot doesn't know the difference.
2006-11-21 01:11:43 · answer #6 · answered by uberkultur 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
When we were kids we were IDIOTS. We didnot know right from the wrong. We had no kowledge of many things. We even put our finger on the flame ! But , nobody called us idiots. Why?
Later , as we grew , many still didnot know these above. at that time we called these people IDIOTS. Why?
Some of them , who did not qualify to become full time idiots , and knew a few things or the other, sometimes acted like idiots . Why? I donot know ,but we called them by a different name , FOOL. . We could have called them tempidiots!
To sum it all, we were born idiots, we picked up a few things on the way and still got called as fools and we will die as idiots as many of us fade away without even knowing why we were born. Is not that the biggest ignorance?
2006-11-21 00:48:40 · answer #7 · answered by YD 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
To be a fool a person doesn't have to be an idiot, but being an idiot can make a person appear foolish.
2006-11-21 00:36:42 · answer #8 · answered by clcalifornia 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A fool is greedy, careless and reckless. An idiot doesn't know the difference.
2006-11-21 02:24:44 · answer #9 · answered by . 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A fool makes wrong decisions while an idiot cannot decide!
2006-11-21 00:36:58 · answer #10 · answered by glover 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋