A fool's paradise: Meaning Now

What do we mean when we say it today?

This phrase—"fool's paradise"—has made its way around the block. It was the title of a 1921 silent film by big shot director Cecil B. DeMille, a song by Buddy Holly, and a Steven Gaines novel. But you know where we hear it most, Shmoopers? In everyday conversation.

Nowadays, we use this phrase to refer to someone's wishful thinking. You know what we mean—when, instead of accepting that things are headed nowhere good, someone still thinks there's a chance for a win, despite the odds. You might call this person an optimist to the core, or just plain naïve, depending on how you look at it. And Shakespeare? Well, he went ahead and labeled that person a fool.