proverb · Words worth keeping
A fool flaunts his folly.
A fool flaunts his folly.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes a fool display their folly openly. It criticises pride or conspicuousness in conduct the speaker considers unwise.
What the words are saying
Flaunts adds showiness to the negative judgment. A useful application can ask what action is being celebrated and why it is troubling, rather than assuming confidence itself is foolish. The labels need evidence about the actual behaviour.
Everyday example
A reader asks what the displayed act involved before accepting the speaker’s judgment of it.
When to use it
Use it to examine conspicuous conduct without equating visibility with folly.
What it does not mean
Confidence or visibility alone does not establish foolishness.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 153; PDF page 26
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.