# Ennio Flaiano's most famous aphorisms

The sharpest lines of Fellini's screenwriter, each with the book it comes from. «Italians always rush to help the winner» is left out: Flaiano himself credited it to Bruno Barilli.

- 15 votes · 12 items
- Dec 7, 2020 · claudia_versefan
- https://even.best/en/l/1505/ennio-flaiano-s-most-famous-aphorisms

## Top 12

1. **The political situation in Italy is grave but not serious.** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Diario notturno, notebook of 1954.
2. **A dreamer is a man with his feet firmly planted on the clouds.** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Diario degli errori.
3. **The worst thing that can happen to a genius is to be understood.** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Taccuino del Marziano, also in «A Martian in Rome».
4. **I break, but I won't get a job.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Frasario essenziale; a pun on «I bend but don't break» («impiegarsi» means to take a job).
5. **Whoever loves me, go ahead of me.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Diario degli errori (1965); a twist on «whoever loves me, follow me», often misattributed to Marcello Marchesi.
6. **Italian is a language spoken by dubbing actors.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Diario degli errori.
7. **Other people's stupidity fascinates me, but I prefer my own.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Il gioco e il massacro (1970).
8. **Bergman: much silence about nothing.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Frasario essenziale, playing on «Much Ado About Nothing».
9. **Today even the idiot is a specialist.** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — Taccuino del Marziano: «The Middle Ages of specialists begins».
10. **Avarice is the most sensual form of chastity.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Frasario essenziale.
11. **If you explain it with an example, I won't understand a thing.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Frasario essenziale.
12. **Italy is a country where Italians are camping.** (-2 · ▲0 ▼2) — One of his most quoted lines about Italy.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.