A round hand mirror reflects a small jester’s cap, with a brass ring beside it.

Original artwork, not a still

Russel Greene

A wise man is nothing but a fool with a good memory.

— Promised Land

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker offers a deflating definition: wisdom is not a different kind of mind from foolishness, only foolishness that has retained its lessons. A wise person is someone who has made the same sort of mistakes as everyone else but remembers them well enough not to repeat them.

Context reviewed

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