Dangerous Fool

Proverbs 17:12

Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs
rather than a fool in his folly.

We laugh at the fool and dismiss him for his nonsensical behavior. But just as we would run for cover when a gun is placed in the hands of a child who thinks he has a toy, so we need all the more to be careful around the fool.

An evil man is dangerous, but if he has his wits about him, he limits his wicked acts to attain his goals. The fool knows no such limits. The fool delights in the attention he receives and the chaos he causes. It is the fool who pulls the fire alarm for fun and pushes someone near the edge of a precipice. It is the fool who yells when silence is needed, who plays with danger. And when he is caught up in the midst of his folly, where others would pull back, he all the more plunges ahead. He does not heed words of caution or rebuke. Reasoning with him only provokes him to more irrational behavior. He knows no boundaries.

And so be careful with him. Do not feed him opportunity to display his folly. Avoid him as much as possible and keep on your guard. Stay alert lest you are taken down or shamed by his foolish outbursts.