He who pursues fame at the risk of losing his self is not a scholar. — Zhuangzi · Smartyfair

He who pursues fame at the risk of losing his self is not a scholar.

Zhuangzi369–286 BC · philosopher · Ancient ChinaZhuangzi was an ancient Chinese philosopher and one of the founders of Daoism, known for his playful, imaginative writing style.1 quote

Source foundIndividualityWisdomAncient

In plain words

Chasing fame until you forget who you are is not clever at all.

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Where these words come from

How sure this is: 85% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: Zhuangzi, Chapter 6, trans. Lin Yutang (1942).
Sources checked: en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026Sourced section, chapter + translator; avoided the disputed 'butterfly dream' variants

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