Need help with an expression

Your phrase is closer to “there’s no way that an idiot who thinks they’re an idiot exists.”

The original phrase does, in fact, mean “the idiot who doesn’t realize they’re an idiot is the dumbest idiot.”

Yeah, I said “there’s no way that an idiot thinks of themselves as an idiot”
It’s a different sentence. Like I said, the original sentence is pretty stupid in itself. 3x バカ in one sentence, that’s like slapping the listener in the face with a huge sign that reads “look at me, i’m so insecure, i have to belittle other people”.

The original sentence sounds just fine to me.
I think you’re misinterpreting the sentence.

自分がバカだって気がついてないバカ → an idiot who doesn’t realize they’re an idiot
ほどバカな者はない → there isn’t anyone as stupid as

So all together, it’s “there isn’t anyone as stupid as an idiot who doesn’t realize they’re an idiot.”

Not sure why you would change the meaning along with the phrasing.

Because I wouldn’t say it like that :wink:

Well, you know what they say. There is no idiot like the idiot who doesn´t realize that he is an idiot. :stuck_out_tongue:

In all seriousness, though, it kinda has the feel of an aphorism to me, and there’s no real issue with aphorisms using words in ways that you wouldn’t normally use in normal colloquial speech, or repeat words more often than feels comfortable. It’s intended to be a bit poetic. For a similar aphorism in English, we have “there’s no fool like an old fool” (I mean, obviously not the same, but similar in tone).

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Thanks for all your answers guys. Didn’t think it will spread to that extent.:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I do have some trouble with your colloquial thingy and all the kind of variation. I’m more on the meaning and explanation then rephrasing and judging but thx anyway. That translation does make sense in the book.'s context

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