"Argue with the fool too! You won't get any fame or benefits anyway... But why not have fun sometimes! Argue with a man of your own measure: it doesn't matter who wins, at least you'll have the satisfaction of having fought. Controversy with a man more precious than you; he argues not from the desire to win, but from that of being useful to him. Argue with a man smarter than you: he will win... But even though you lost, you can benefit from something that will be useful to you.
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Author
Ivan TurgenevAll Translations
All Translations
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Argue with the fool too! You won't get any fame or benefits anyway... But why not have fun sometimes! Argue with a man of your own measure: it doesn't matter who wins, at least you'll have the satisfaction of having fought. Controversy with a man more precious than you; he argues not from the desire to win, but from that of being useful to him. Argue with a man smarter than you: he will win... But even though you lost, you can benefit from something that will be useful to you.
""Polemizează și cu prostul! Oricum nu vei obține nici faimă, nici beneficii... Dar de ce să nu te distrezi uneori! Polemizează cu un om pe măsura ta: nu contează cine va câștiga, vei avea cel puțin satisfacția că te-ai luptat. Polemizează cu un om mai prețios de tine; polemizează nu din dorința de a câștiga, ci din aceea de a-i fi de folos. Polemizează cu un om mai inteligent decât tine: el va câștiga... Dar, deși ai pierdut, poți beneficia de ceva ce-ți va fi de folos."