You don’t suffer fools gladly

[Furiosoemalioso]

A colleague said this to me today, she wasn’t being unkind. I took it as a compliment but the more I think about it the less sure I am! AIBU to think this is something to be proud of?

I said those very same words to someone today in work in a conversation about a third person who wasn't there so slightly paranoid this was me!

But if not it was an observation meant as a compliment. That the person is no-nonsense and just gets on with things and hasn't time for those who don't.

I don't suffer fools gladly, I admit. I would certainly regard that observation from someone else as a compliment.

I'd see it as a positive.

I'm pretty sure it's been said about me at work but in the context that I take no nonsense, which I don't, and frankly I wish more others didn't.

It's no judgement on intellectual capability as far as I'm concerned.

A compliment, means you are astute and assertive. If I said it to someone it would be as a compliment.

I would only use it in a positive light to explain that someone is assertive and respects themselves and their boundaries (so doesn't stand for being walked all over in the workplace, is good at being polite whilst declining not to give in to CF's latest request of free school transport for their DC for a month etc).

To me "telling it like it is" tells me someone is probably rude or obnoxious in their approach to people.
"Not suffering fools gladly" is more linked to assertive, knowing their worth, not being a door mat.

Don’t worry I am the same. I enjoy my own company. I always feel less than myself when in a crowd, small or large.

People like us should just enjoy our own psyche. It’s a precious gift.

Welcome to the club.

I think it means you might have a tendency to be unkind

It’s not a compliment. It suggests a bit of a know all who calls others out in public for things most people would gloss over, not merely recognising a fool when you meet one. Most of us can do that...

Years ago a “fortune teller” type person told my mum that she “doesn’t suffer fools gladly”, and my mum was amazed cos she doesn’t (or rather thinks she doesn’t). I asked at the time if she thought anyone would say that they do suffer fools gladly!

To me it is a compliment, but it probably does depend on tone and context.

It's often used in obituaries to indicate someone unable to be patient polite or even civilised to people who they thought were beneath them . Usually the kind of boss mentioned on other threads here who screams and throws things around if staff haven't developed telepathic skills to pre empt changes of mind , poor communications and general psycopathy. See R Maxwell et al .

@MrsTWH exactly! Who does?!

Personally l would say it is a complement. But then again people say it about me. It’s not my fault l have little tolerance for no common sense and stupidity!

I think it's just a personality trait, no judgement attached.

I do think there would be fewer fools if people stopped suffering them though. Not necessarily intelligence-wise, but in terms of cheeky-fuckery and overall incompetence at work.

I've always thought of it as a compliment. Until reading some of these posts. I think I would still say it means you don't take shit rather than you're too bolshy and impatient.

I take it back after searching on google. Seemed it is mostly used in a negative context

It's one of the phrases that I really don't like.
OP I'm sure she meant it as a compliment.
However when I hear someone say it about themselves it just makes me feel embarrassed for them. It's a sort of stealth boast and a bit naff

I would mean it as a compliment if I said it about someone. To me it means someone savvy and not naive. I do suffer fools gladly as I am way too tolerant of everything and everyone and honestly it doesn’t do me a lot of favours. So I look up to people who don’t take any shit.

she meant it as a compliment, you don't listen to crap talk; in this context it's good. The only caveat to those words as a compliment is always be aware your perception of a person is yours alone, always be kind and wait and listen, listen, listen before judging another's viewpoint.

Definitely not intended as a negative in that context. It seems like an observation that is without judgement in that context while noting that the end result is positive about your friend.

It's from the same School of Bollocks as pride in "shooting from the hip".

It's from the same School of Bollocks as pride in "shooting from the hip".

See also "I speak as I find" and "I call a spade a spade". Basically, it means either "I'm rude/impatient/arrogant etc" or "I have no internal monologue or ability to filter my thoughts before choosing which ones to vocalise" - or both.

Personally, I refuse to suffer deliberately arrogant or rude people and will challenge them on it if necessary; but meek 'fools' - i.e. people who make a genuine mistake or haven't had the opportunity to learn or understand something that I have? Nah, I'm happy to give them a break and gently and kindly explain the facts if they need to know them, rather than launching straight at them and belittling them. After all, who among us has never been 'that fool' at one time or another? Certainly not me, that's for sure.

....sorry, the second quote was meant to be the "I tell it like it is" comment.

See, I was that fool just then - please DO suffer me gladly

I think a more positive version of it would be "I don't beat around the bush" - that suggests meeting situations head-on and dealing with them quickly and efficiently as opposed to attacking a person like a bear with a sore head: going for the ball and not the (wo)man.