The best way to prove to a fool they're wrong

The best way to prove to a fool they're wrong is to let them have their way.

I was told this by a manager of mine very early in my professional career. Fresh out of university and into a systems analyst role with a bank in Australia, I was witnessing my manager interact with his own boss. His boss wanted him to do something that my manager knew was not the right thing to do technically, but yet his boss was intent that it be done. After his boss left, my manager turned to me and said the words above.

At the time, I didn't get it. "If you know it won't work then why do it? You should try to convince him that it's not the right thing to do, and explain to him why it won't work", I thought. As I've gotten older, though, I now vibe with my manager. I understand what he meant when he said that line to me, and I've gotten better at understanding of the kinds of people/situation it should be applied to. Not always, but selectively, let the fool prove to themselves they're wrong.

Thanks for this little gem of life advice, Rob.