Cicero once said, “It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own.” It’s no small thing to characterize someone as a fool, but in reality, there’s a good chance you know a few. You might have a fool in your home, office, or neighborhood. Undoubtedly, you’ve got fools posting in your social media feeds. Initially, some fools can appear to be charming, charismatic, attractive, and outgoing, but there’s a good chance they’ll reveal poor behavior before long. How do you know if you are dealing with a fool? The Bible describes a fool this way:
- A fool provokes fights (Prov. 18:6).
- A fool says things about other people that aren’t true (Prov. 10:18).
- A fool flaunts his behavior (Prov. 13:16).
- A fool’s mouth gets him in trouble (Prov. 18:7).
- A fool is easily offended and quick to anger (Prov. 12:16).
- A fool believes everything he reads and hears (Prov. 14:15).
- A fool talks too much and doesn’t listen (Prov. 18:2).
- A fool says everything he thinks (Prov. 29:11).
Communicating with a fool is incredibly challenging. If possible, it’s best to avoid communicating with a fool, but if you have to, here are a few things to remember.
If you correct a fool, be prepared for retaliation. Proverbs 9:7 CSB says, “The one who corrects a mocker will bring abuse on himself; the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.” Correcting a fool is a bad idea unless it’s absolutely necessary. Why? Fools don’t listen to constructive feedback but instead view it as an attack or threat. There’s little chance anything positive will come from the conversation, and it’s likely to end badly.
Don’t escalate the conversation. We can’t control anyone else’s behavior, but we do have complete control over how we respond. Fools thrive during arguments, strife, and division. The only way to counteract that behavior is to de-escalate it. Prov. 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Rather than arguing back and forth without making progress it’s better to bring the conversation to a close by saying something like, “Good to know” or “Noted.” Doing so acknowledges you’ve heard what they’ve said even if you don’t agree.
Don’t Argue With a Fool. Proverbs 29:9 says, “If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.” Arguing with a fool is pointless, and it will only waste time. In some cases, it’s like spitting in the wind. Prov. 14:7 goes as far as to say, “Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.”
Unfortunately, we’ll all have to communicate with fools from time to time. The good news is, if we are wise, we can save ourselves some trouble. What ways have you found to effectively communicate with a fool? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.
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