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He Was Hugely Influential. He Also Had a Foolish Streak. — in The Atlantic
I n his memoirs, Giacomo Casanova, the 18th-century writer and libertine, made a helpful distinction between “stupid” people and “fools.” Those who are stupid, he opined, were generally honest and merely lacking in education: “They are like eyes that, if not for their cataracts, would be very beautiful.” Fools, however, he couldn’t abide. He found them conceited and insolent.
