The Bible not only describes foolish behavior for us, but it also gives clear guidance on how we should respond to foolish people.
Here’s another principle for dealing with foolish people:
Principle #3 – Don’t argue with foolish people.
2 Timothy 2:23-24: Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
You will be tempted to argue with a foolish person. All your emotions will lead you in that direction. They bring out the worst in us, so you need to pray for patience and self-control. If you allow them to drag you into an argument, they have brought you down to their level, and you will never win that argument. You will just end up in great frustration. Someone has said: “Never tell a fool that he is a fool. All you’ll have is an angry fool.”
Principle #4 – Protect yourself from the resentment and anger caused by foolish people.
Proverbs 27:3 (NLT): A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is heavier than both.
In her book, Foolproofing Your Life, my friend, Jan Silvious gives good advice about setting boundaries for the foolish people in your life. She says to think of living in a castle, with a moat around it and a drawbridge over that moat. When you see that foolish person coming at you, think of pulling up that drawbridge. It may be a mental or emotional drawbridge, or actually putting some space between you and that person, but learn to set those boundaries.[1]
Yes, you have responsibilities toward some foolish people. Yes, you must interact with some foolish people. Yes, you can’t avoid all foolish people. But it is your responsibility to protect yourself from their words, their actions, their accusations, and their behavior. As Jan puts it, if you have to feed them, use a long-handle spoon.
Well, there is a lot we can learn from Scripture on how to deal with foolish people.
[1] Jan Silvious, Foolproofing Your Life: Wisdom for Untangling Your Most Difficult Relationships (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 1998).