Whenever you argue with another wiser than yourself in order that others may admire your wisdom, they will discover your ignorance.

Saadi warns against performative disputation—arguing not to learn or clarify truth, but to win admiration. When someone challenges a person wiser than themselves for the sake of appearing clever, the mismatch in understanding is likely to become visible to onlookers. The quote reflects a broader ethical theme common in Saadi’s moral literature: humility is a form of wisdom, while vanity invites exposure and shame. It also implies a social psychology of debate: audiences often detect motives and competence, so seeking status through contrarian argument can backfire, revealing ignorance rather than intelligence.