Foolishness
A man in Wollongong Australia walked into a convenience store and laid down a twenty-dollar bill and asked for change. When the cashier opened the cash drawer the man pulled out a gun and demanded all the money. The cashier complied and gave him all the money and the robber left the store leaving the twenty-dollar bill behind. The grand total taken from the store was fifteen dollars. You can’t help but wonder if the robber ever realized his foolishness. Thomas Tusser is credited as saying a “fool and his money are soon parted.” Proverbs 21:20 states “the wise store up choice food and olive oil, but the fool gulps theirs down.” Baltasar Gracian tells us “A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.” Henry David Thoreau reminds us that “Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.” Ron White has made a good living telling us that there is no cure for stupid. “If you look around the room at the gaggle of relatives and strangers occupying the space and cannot immediately identify who the stupid one is, it’s a good bet the stupid one is you. This is not only experientially accurate as a joke, it’s literally true as scientific fact.’ (Rutter, 2015) Proverbs 18:2 recommends that we pay attention and know, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”
There are different types of fools, but two kinds of fools are especially troublesome. One is the fool who doesn’t know he is a fool. The other believes that she ought never to act foolishly. The first type learned nothing from life and the second learned the wrong lessons. The first type of fool lives on the edge of danger, imperiling himself and others. The second type is afraid of taking risks, too concerned about what others may think. This is the overly cautious and conservative person, intent on fitting in, the person who doesn’t experience life fully because she is afraid of being seen as stupid. (Dobrin, 2012) Proverbs 14:7-9 suggest we, “Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoys acceptance.”
“Foolish people are self-involved, overly optimistic regarding their own views, and unable to see their own vulnerabilities. They assume they already know all that needs to be known. Foolish individuals are apathetic—indifferent to outgroups, ethical concerns, and the common good. They are unimaginative and dogmatic. The opposite of toxicity is wisdom. Because they are concerned with what benefits everyone, wise individuals (in contrast to toxic ones) unite people. The wise person is ethical, constructive, caring, and open to experience. She often possesses superior analytical intelligence; unlike her toxic counterpart, she uses her creativity to achieve positive (not harmful) outcomes. She brings out the best in others.” (Emamzedeh, 2018) Fools will be angry and will accept no blame. Everything is someone else’s fault. If confronted by a fool do not back down. It will be your fault when you hold a fool accountable. Fools despise being corrected and will tell you how people just don’t understand. Foolish people see themselves being above their vulnerabilities and are confident that they know all they need to know to solve any situation. Fools are self-absorbed, apathetic, and many times uncaring to others. Many times, fools do not care about others, how few ethical concerns, and unimaginative. Many times, Fools do not realize that they are fools. The fact they do not know makes it difficult for others to deal with this person. Proverbs 14:7-9 addresses this by telling us to, “Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving. Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoys acceptance.”
“As human beings, we need people around us and need to be in social contact with each other. This is why we make friends and spend time in each other’s company – and why we actively seek out people we like to be with. Sometimes though, it’s easy to be taken in by a person’s outward charm, forming a first impression, only to later discover that from the inside, they are completely different. The idea is not to judge people – the idea is to know people fully and make the right decisions about them so as to not be fooled by those who don’t have good wishes for us, or not underestimate those who may not look the part but are really nice people. This is why a first impression, dazzling as it may be, does not hold true many a time. Ultimately, the decision of who you want to be friends with, in love with, or even work with lies with you. Don’t be in a hurry to form an impression, and don’t always think that your first impression about someone is a 100% correct. People have nuances and facets and more importantly, sometimes people do change as well, as well as trying to appear to be what they are not – learn to read between and behind the lines and keep your heart, head, eyes, and ears wide open to avoid getting hurt or being betrayed!” (Pundir, Lifehack, n.d.) Proverbs addresses this point in several verses. Proverbs 13:20 predicts that “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.’ Proverbs 17:17 assures us that, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Then we read in Proverbs 18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” And finally, we are again reminded in Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” It is a fact of life that we will have to deal with many different types of people. But if we take our time, make good decisions, and pay attention we can avoid many problems by associating with the right people. We as humans create the vast majority of our problems and if we associate with those that cause problems it will only get worse. We need to remember that Proverbs 26:4 warns us, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.”
Dobrin, A. (2012, 01 26). Psychology Today. Retrieved from Two Kinds of Fools: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/am-i-right/201210/two-kinds-fools
Emamzedeh, A. (2018, 10 25). Psychology Today. Retrieved from How To Identify Toxic, Foolish, and Wise People: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/finding-new-home/201810/how-identify-toxic-foolish-and-wise-people#:~:text=Foolish%20people%20are%20self%2Dinvolved,They%20are%20unimaginative%20and%20dogmatic.
Pundir, R. (n.d.). Lifehack. Retrieved from Don’t Let First Impressions Fool You: https://www.lifehack.org/602902/dont-let-first-impression-fool-you-check-these-7-things-instead
Rutter, D. (2015, 2 3). Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from Rutter: Science Finally Proves You Can’t Fix Stupid: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/opinion/ct-ptb-david-rutter-stupidity-st-0204-20150203-story.html