"To succeed in the world, it is much more necessary to possess the penetration to discern who is a fool, than to discover who is a clever man"

This quote by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand suggests that in order to be successful in life, it is more important to be able to determine who is foolish than to acknowledge who is smart. This indicates that it is more helpful to avoid foolish individuals and their bad recommendations than to look for wise people and their excellent advice. Talleyrand is suggesting that it is more vital to be able to acknowledge foolishness than to be able to acknowledge intelligence. He is indicating that it is more important to be able to determine bad recommendations than to be able to determine excellent advice. This quote is a tip that it is important to be able to recognize who is foolish in order to make sensible decisions and succeed in life.