A proverb meaning there's a very fine line between stupidity and genius; unconventional behavior can make the difference very small between being seen as a fool or a genius.
彼の発想は奇抜だけど、馬鹿と天才は紙一重だから侮れない。
His ideas are eccentric, but there's a fine line between fool and genius, so don't underestimate him.
芸術家の中には、常識外れの振る舞いで評価が分かれる人がいる。馬鹿と天才は紙一重だ。
Among artists, some are judged differently for their unconventional behavior. There's a thin line between fool and genius.
大胆な実験は失敗すれば馬鹿に見えるが、成功すれば天才だ。馬鹿と天才は紙一重だね。
A bold experiment may look foolish if it fails, but genius if it succeeds. There's truly a fine line between fool and genius.