Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“But sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.”
- Source
- Wives and Daughters
- Date
- 1866
Meaning of “But sometimes one likes foolish people for their…”
Mr. Gibson affectionately suggests that an imprudent act motivated by care can sometimes make a person more lovable than detached good judgment.
Where does it come from?
Wives and Daughters, Chapter LIV, “Molly Gibson’s Worth Is Discovered,” Project Gutenberg #4274. Mr. Gibson smiles at Cynthia after she returns because she heard Molly was ill and says that one may like foolish people for their folly better than wise people for wisdom. It is affectionate fictional dialogue about a specific act of care, not Gaskell’s general rule against wisdom.