“The Wise Do Sooner What Fools Do Later. Both Do The Same; All That Differs Is When.”

The wise do sooner what fools do later. Both do the same; all that differs is when.

The former act at the right moment, the latter at the wrong. If you start out by putting your intelligence on backward, you’ll do everything else that way: trample under foot what you should have kept in your head, turn right into left, and act left-handedly. There is only one good way to see the light: as soon as possible. Otherwise, you do out of necessity what you might have done with pleasure. The wise size up immediately what has to be done, sooner or later, and do it with pleasure, enhancing their reputation.

The wise really only have one thing above the fools – lack of self-delusion. Unlike the fools, they don’t ignore reality and push it aside until things gets so hectic that they have no choice but to face the truth with panic in their hearts.

The wise really only have one thing above the fools – they’re not afraid to face the truth.

Falsely yours,
Baltasar Gracián y Morales