The real sting here isn't simply that wise people think before speaking—it's that Plato identifies *purposelessness* as the defining trait of foolishness, not mere ignorance. A fool isn't necessarily unintelligent; he's compelled by an inner restlessness that demands an audience, regardless of whether he has anything worth sharing. Watch any social media thread where someone must respond to every comment, or recall a colleague who fills every silence in meetings: they're not driven by conviction or knowledge, but by an almost physical need to occupy space with sound. Wisdom, by contrast, comes with the confidence to remain silent, to let an idea gestate before releasing it into the world.