Is There a Difference Between a Sage and a Fool?

Stoics insist that only the ideal sage is virtuous. They pull no punches here, claiming that a non sage can perform no virtuous actions. In greek cathe conta respecting one's parents or paying a debt is befitting. That doesn't mean you should do these actions in every circumstance - if some one lends me an axe and then goes insane, that's a debt i probably shouldn't repay. But in general, the strategy of choosing befitting actions allows us to achieve a kind of second best virtue,. Not the unerring perfection of the sage, but the dutiful and occasionally misplaced rectitude of the upstanding citizen.