Hope often deludes the foolish man.
Hope often deludes the foolish man.
Meaning in plain English
Hope deluding a person labelled foolish warns that expectation can be mistaken for a reliable outcome. The saying questions reliance on anticipation.
Example
Someone keeps hope while distinguishing a possible result from a confirmed resource.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The warning does not make hope itself foolish or prove that every hopeful forecast is false. A useful application states uncertainty, checks evidence and plans around actual options. People with limited choices should not be blamed because a hoped-for improvement did not arrive.
When to use it
Use it to qualify expectations without condemning hope.
Keep in mind
No foolishness inherent in hope or outcome guaranteed by anticipation is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference
Supplied reference B; unit 923; PDF page 81; collection label: Transylvania Province of Romania
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