197．不要为蠢人所累

不要为蠢人所累。不会识别蠢人的人，谓之蠢人；能够识别蠢人，却不与其保持距离，则更为愚蠢。和蠢人做伴是危险的，跟蠢人交朋友则是致命的。即便自身的小心和他人的注意也许会让蠢人暂时安分一些，但是，蠢人终究还是会说蠢话、做蠢事，而且会因为压抑太久而更为过分。没有声誉的人是不会帮助别人提高声誉的。蠢人大多很倒霉，这是他们的报应——他们必须为自己的行为付出代价。他们只有一样东西还不太坏，那就是：尽管他们对智者没用，但却可以作为很有用的路标或警告。

197．Do not carry fools on your back

Do not carry fools on your back. He that does not know a fool when he sees him is one himself; still more he that knows him but will not keep clear of him. They are dangerous company and ruinous confidants. Even though their own caution and others, care keeps them in bounds for a time, still at length they are sure to do or to say some foolishness which is all the greater for being kept so long in stock. They cannot help another's credit who have none of their own. They are most unlucky, which is the Nemesis of fools, and they have to pay for one thing or the other. There is only one thing which is not so bad about them, and this is that though they can be of no use to the wise, they can be of much use to them as signposts or as warnings.