At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Ps. 16: 11)
“If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest”
Proverbs 29:9
“If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace”
Proverbs 29:9 NKJV
When reading through devotional literature grounded in the book of Proverbs, one is not usually anticipating encountering a quote from Ricky Gervais, but there is a first time for everything. “Remember, when you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It is only painful for others. The same applies when you are stupid.”
As I was mulling over the meaning of this proverb, that quote came to mind for some reason. This is a proverb that—thanks to the Internet—has become increasingly relevant. This is because a fool can keep up appearances online a bit longer than he can in real time. Comment threads provide good cover or camouflage for a fool. But even though that is the case, it all comes down to the same end . . . which is that there is no end to it. And the folly does become apparent at some point.
It is interesting to note how Scripture categorizes the fool’s likely responses—they are rage and mockery. Not only so, but they are rage and mockery that just won’t quit. There is “no peace.”
If a wise man is considering such a scenario knowing that the other man is a fool, then he needs to be able to weigh what the situation actually is. There is a way of getting into it with a fool that is simply joining him in his folly (Prov. 26:4). But there are also times when it is the responsibility of a wise man to shut the fool down promptly (Prov. 26:5). You have to be able to read the situation rightly.
Having said this, there are times when a wise man realizes that he made the wrong call. At such times, he should just say “I can see we are not getting anywhere. Good night all.” He is not going to be able to shut the fool down, and the fool has only been encouraged and emboldened by the whole affair. This brings to mind the old folk adage, which says that you should never wrestle with a pig—you both get muddy, and the pig likes it.
