"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions"
About this Quote
Cleverness is performance; wisdom is orientation. Mahfouz’s line snaps that distinction into focus with the clean logic of a proverb, but its real bite is how it demotes the thing most societies reward: having the right answer on demand. Answers are measurable, quotable, exam-friendly. They flatter the ego and signal status. Cleverness, in this framing, is a social skill - the ability to land on your feet in public.
Questions are riskier. They expose what you don’t know, interrupt consensus, and slow down the satisfying momentum of certainty. Calling that “wise” is Mahfouz’s quiet rebellion against a culture of quick judgments, where confidence can masquerade as competence. The subtext is moral as much as intellectual: a wise person isn’t just smart, they’re disciplined about doubt. They don’t treat knowledge as a trophy; they treat it as a map with missing roads.
Coming from a novelist who wrote through colonial rule, monarchy, revolution, Nasser-era authoritarianism, and the brittle compromises of modern Egyptian life, the quote reads like advice for surviving systems built on approved answers. In such environments, “clever” can mean knowing what to say; “wise” can mean knowing what must be asked - even when asking is costly.
The structure helps it stick: two near-identical sentences, one crucial word swapped, like a courtroom cross-examination. It trains the reader to rethink their own instincts. The next time someone dazzles with a response, Mahfouz nudges you to listen harder for the questions they avoid.
Questions are riskier. They expose what you don’t know, interrupt consensus, and slow down the satisfying momentum of certainty. Calling that “wise” is Mahfouz’s quiet rebellion against a culture of quick judgments, where confidence can masquerade as competence. The subtext is moral as much as intellectual: a wise person isn’t just smart, they’re disciplined about doubt. They don’t treat knowledge as a trophy; they treat it as a map with missing roads.
Coming from a novelist who wrote through colonial rule, monarchy, revolution, Nasser-era authoritarianism, and the brittle compromises of modern Egyptian life, the quote reads like advice for surviving systems built on approved answers. In such environments, “clever” can mean knowing what to say; “wise” can mean knowing what must be asked - even when asking is costly.
The structure helps it stick: two near-identical sentences, one crucial word swapped, like a courtroom cross-examination. It trains the reader to rethink their own instincts. The next time someone dazzles with a response, Mahfouz nudges you to listen harder for the questions they avoid.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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