"The greatest misfortune of the wise man and the greatest unhappiness of the fool are based upon convention"

This quote by Franz Schubert talks to the concept that the greatest bad luck and unhappiness experienced by both the smart and the silly are based on societal conventions. Schubert is recommending that the wise man's misfortune is due to the fact that he is held to a higher standard than the fool, and is thus most likely to be judged harshly by society. The fool's distress, on the other hand, is due to the reality that he is not held to the same standards as the sensible male, and is hence most likely to be benefited from or ignored. Schubert is suggesting that the sensible male and the fool are both victims of social conventions, which these conventions can lead to both misfortune and distress. Eventually, Schubert is recommending that it is important to acknowledge the power of social conventions and to aim to produce a society that is more fair and simply.