“4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
”
It sounds like Solomon woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning! He has no time for fools, sluggards or gossips. I love his picture in verse 15 of the sluggard who sticks his hand in the bowl of M&M’s but is too lazy to bring it back out again!
I’ve always been intrigued by verses 4 and 5 of this chapter. Solomon’s wisdom here suggests not to get into tit for tat conversations with a fool, it’s a bottomless pit of meaningless back and forth. There is no “winning” in this scenario, just agitation. In the end you have joined the fool in his folly.
At the same time, there is opportunity to shut a fool up. Wisdom knows how to do this! Here is one of my favourite comedy sketches from Brian Regan that comes to mind when I read these two verses (I walked on the moon); I think he nails it here! Don’t get into the back and forth but when the opportunity presents itself, with humility, shut the fool down!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Have you experienced the frustration of the futile conversation with a fool? Do you have any strategies to protect yourself from it? Share your thoughts below.