from The Art of Worldly Wisdom Excessive applause from the masses never satisfies the sensible.
Common ground in the middle of nowhere. 27
First, it is not a hobby. O great and wise one, how can you not be at ease when your deeds please the crowd? The excessive applause of the masses never satisfies the sensible. Some become chameleons of popularity and find pleasure in the breath of the crowd, not in the sweet fragrance of Apollo. Second, it is not intelligence. For ignorance can never surpass wonder. While vulgar folly wonders, wisdom watches its tricks.
This page is auto-translated from /nishio/大衆の喝采で満足しない using DeepL. If you looks something interesting but the auto-translated English is not good enough to understand it, feel free to let me know at @nishio_en. I’m very happy to spread my thought to non-Japanese readers.