In biblical wisdom literature, the opposite of a wise person is a fool. Solomon, in Proverbs 8 and 9, personifies wisdom and foolishness as two women. Wisdom is a woman who leads those who listen to her to God and life. Her ways have more value than any amount of physical wealth. On the other hand, the woman named Folly leads her followers to death.

The book of Proverbs is filled with explanations of the differences in character, behavior and results of a life based on wisdom and one based on folly.

Points to Build On

Character traits of the foolish:

Proverbs 12:15: "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes..."

Proverbs 14:16: "... a fool rages and is self-confident." NIV: "... a fool is hotheaded and reckless."

Proverbs 19:3: "The foolishness of a man twists his way, and his heart frets against the L ord ." NIV: "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the L ord ."

Proverbs 27:22: "Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him."

Proverbs 28:26: "He who trusts his own heart is a fool..."

Behavioral traits of the foolish:

Proverbs 10:23: "To do evil is like sport to a fool..."

Proverbs 14:15: "The simple believes every word..."

Proverbs 15:14: "... the mouth of the fool feeds on foolishness."

Proverbs 17:24 (NIV): "... a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth."

Proverbs 26:11: "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

Proverbs 29:11 (NIV): "A fool gives full vent to his anger..."

Results of being foolish:

Proverbs 10:13: "... a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding."

Proverbs 14:9: "Fools mock at sin..."

Proverbs 17:25: "A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him."

Proverbs 18:6-7: "A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul."

Application

Solomon concludes that a foolish person is self-centered, arrogant and controlled by his or her own emotions. The fool is unable to accept correction from others and refuses to accept responsibility for the consequences of decisions, but instead blames God. The result is a lifestyle based on self-ordained concepts of right and wrong instead of obedience to God, immediate physical pleasure instead of personal character, repetition of mistakes, restless wandering void of peace, and relationships filled with strife.

Wisdom is something to be pursued, with value more than gold or precious stones. One of the cornerstones of wisdom is taking responsibility for personal decisions.

Copy proverbs and wise sayings into a small book and review them daily.

When you read a proverb, take a few minutes to consider how its simple wisdom can be applied to everyday life.