None is so wise but the fool overtakes him sometimes.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Someone usually considered less capable may sometimes do better than an expert. The saying challenges complacency about relative ability, without treating one comparison as a complete measure of either person.

What the words are saying

The overtaking image puts two people on a course where the expected leader is not always ahead. The proverb allows an unexpected contribution or success to interrupt an easy ranking of wise and foolish. Knowledge can be specific, circumstances can change and a less experienced person may notice something the usual expert misses. This does not make expertise worthless or establish that every view is equally supported. The useful reading gives the contribution a fair examination rather than accepting or rejecting it by reputation alone. A particular result can broaden respect without creating a new permanent hierarchy from a single occasion.

Everyday example

A new volunteer spots a missing sign in an event plan that experienced organisers had overlooked, and the group adds it before opening.

When to use it

Use it when reputation is preventing an unexpected contribution from being considered.

Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.