Is it better wise than to be a fool?

Question

We all die alike. Which is the better one?

Answer 1

Well, while we all die alike, wisdom is for how we live our life and what kind of mark we leave behind.

Some would prefer to be the fool, for no one expects anything out of him and he is free to live life without any responsibility or care.

I personally prefer to be wise. Yes, it sometimes mean sadness and disillusionment when you know a lot of things but ultimately it is better. You know how to negotiate life, you can deal with any problem that comes your way, you can't really be conned or fooled and more importantly, you leave behind a mark that matters.... but only if you ACTUALLY apply the wisdom.

Take King Solomon, a wise philosopher but his lifestyle at the end showed him up to be a fool in many ways. Ironic that he should leave his mark as the wisest of the wise (because of his writings and judgments) and yet a fool (for not practicing what he preached and being too hedonistic for his own good) ...

Answer 2

The answer to this depends on what you value.

There is a saying that ignorance is bliss. There is another that says what you don't know can't hurt you. Basically, if you are unaware of the things that weigh down your brain and make you sad, they won't bother you. In this sense, being a fool is better.

On the other hand (and to continue my use of cliches), knowledge is power. A wise man can do more things with his life than an ignorant man. Ignorance is no gaurentee of happiness, so one could argue that you are more likely to create happiness for yourself by understanding your world and trying to make it a better place for everyone.

Is what you are asking actually "since we all just die in the end, why should we bother doing anything?"

Answer 3

There is a saying: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. It is far better to be wise. Another saying: It is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. There really is no blissful ignorance. The more foolish we are, the more terribly and often we suffer. It is better to be burdened with the responsibility of the wise.

Answer 4

They are just labels. Who can say what is being wise and being a fool? History time and time again have shown that what was thought wise are sometimes proved not, and what was foolish are later proved wise. Better to live as you would, not as what others thought is wise or vise versa.

Answer 5

Depends on what you want to do. It is sometimes to be better to be both at some point or another in our life.

We may need to be wise at times in certain situations in our life, and sometimes being a fool and blissfully ignorant is a good thing too, depending on the situation.

Yin and yang.

We can never get rid of it.

Answer 6

If caught up amongst fools, better to be wise enough to act like a fool !

Answer 7

A wise person has to live up to his reputation. A fool can live life in complete ignorance. No one expects a thing from him. Depends on which one you want to be.

Answer 8

Be a fool before you don't get the chance too and you can always be wise whenever you are alive right..^_^..

Answer 9

still the name you make for yourself after you die lives on. do you want someone at your funeral saying he was a stupid fool.