There two FOOLS met

Meaning & Analysis

This phrase is used when two foolish people encounter each other, often resulting in an absurd or mutually disadvantageous situation.

Insights

Mutual Folly

The proverb points out that when two fools meet, the outcome is typically unproductive or ridiculous, as neither possesses the judgment needed for a sensible result.

Poor Bargains and Judgment

It is especially invoked in the context of ill-advised bargains or negotiations, implying that both parties are acting unwisely—one for offering, the other for refusing, with neither party benefiting.

Amplification of Error

When folly meets folly, errors and misjudgments tend to multiply rather than cancel each other out, leading to even more comical or regrettable outcomes.

Social and Economic Critique

Historically, the phrase was used in situations where both sides of a deal lacked sense or prudence, resulting in failed or ludicrous transactions. It serves as a cautionary observation about the dangers of mutual incompetence.

Psychological Dynamics

The proverb taps into the psychological principle that poor judgment is often reinforced when unwise individuals interact, as neither is able to recognize or correct the other's folly.

Universal Applicability

Its wide applicability makes the proverb a concise commentary on any situation where two people—or groups—mutually reinforce each other's bad decisions.

Rhetorical Devices

Ellipsis

The brevity of the phrase omits explicit consequences, letting the hearer supply the likely foolish outcome.

Irony

Irony pervades the proverb: meetings are often associated with positive results, but here, the meeting only guarantees more folly.

Parallellism

The phrase balances both parties as equals in foolishness, reinforcing the sense of mutual responsibility.

follymutualerrorjudgmentironynegotiationsocialcritique
Analyzed with gpt-4.1 on July 12, 2025

Transcription

Quotations

Two fools well met.

1672, WALK., 10, p. 14

*Spoken to them that say they refused such a considerable Price for such a Penyworth. That is, he was a Fool that offered it, and you a Fool that refus'd it.

1721, KEL., p. 338

Where two Fools meet, the Bargain goes off.

1732, FUL., no. 5679

Original Scan

There two FOOLS met - a scanned entry from Tilley's 1950 Dictionary of Proverbs.
Scan courtesy of HathiTrust Digital Library.
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.

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Last updated: January 27, 2026