10 February 2008

Wisdom and knowledge

In the obituraries and musing over the legacy of Jeremy Beadle, another British comic treasure passed away this week with barely a mention. Miles Kington was a broadcaster, columnist, presenter and musician, with a gift for one liners and effortlessly funny riffs on the absurdity of the British way of life.

I thought of him as the Archbishop of Canterbury was discovering the difference between giving an academic lecture as Dr Rowan Williams and doing the same as the head of the Anglican church. That just because you think something to be the case, it is not always wise to say it publicly to Radio 4, where people might be listening.

Or as Miles Kington put it: "Knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad".

1 comment:

Phil Woodford said...

Are you sure that people might be listening to Radio 4, Hoffy? I assumed you'd be fairly safe to say whatever you liked on the Today programme without any real worry that anyone had heard it. If you revealed all to Johnny Vaughan and Denise van Outen, on the other hand, all hell would break loose.