Of late, everyone seems to be polarizing regarding the cryptic anon known as "Q".
If you are a binary thinker, Q is either horrible, or the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The problem with Q though is that when there's no room for "maybe he's wrong about some stuff and right about other stuff, and maybe that's on purpose", it should set off an alarm in your head that there is a false dichotomy being forced onto the situation.
It's odd because, in the election cycle back in 2016, a lot of folks cited how Trump was good at saying something that fell into the category of speech called "rhetoric". In short, rhetoric is largely about emotional impact, and its contrast "dialectic", is about informational impact.
When you use facts and data to try and persuade, you're using dialectic when the circumstances more likely demand rhetoric. So when Trump says he had some 10 billion in assets or whatever, and he literally only had 3, it was rhetoric because what you're left with is "he's not quite as rich as he claimed, but he is still rich."
While factually, literally, inaccurate, rhetoric is not quite the same as lying, which is yet another concept difficult for binary thinkers to grasp.
This oddity is multiplied when you account for the fact that Trump is a negotiator, and you never open negotiations at the price you want. If you're selling, you start high. If buying, you start low. You then haggle towards what the final price would be. Your opening offer isn't a lie, it's an offer, a possibility.
This is where the value of rhetoric comes from. It forces you to consider a possibility, whether true or not, and so someone skilled with rhetoric will make an opening offer that is exaggerated, but sets a starting point for negotiation.
With that in mind, if you think of Q as a negotiator, by default some of the things shared are not going to be true. They're going to be an opening offer, a first stab.
We're in the midst of a cold civil war where a faction of the existing government has been working behind the scenes to secure great power and control for them and their buddies. If you wanted to avert making a cold civil war go hot, because the people whose priorities you share are still blissfully unaware and woefully unprepared, how do you still make progress? How do you "claim territory" in a way which doesn't provoke an escalated response that will not be handled in a calm, rational fashion?
Well, if your enemy has worked behind the scenes, using public narratives to distract, your most viable option is to do the same thing. In such a manner, the enemy can't really blow your "cover" without also blowing theirs. You fight behind the scenes in hopes that, securing victory there, the conflict doesn't spill out into the streets.
So from the outside, to those who are just "awake" enough to realize something is going on, it's going to look like you're doing nothing. And it may be that what you are trying to do might even fail!
The degree to which people loathe or love Q comes off as being tied to their natural level of impatience. Even folks much more intelligent than me haven't successfully resisted the urge to take potshots, apparently unaware how closely their criticism echoes that of the liberals regarding Trump's behavior in public.
Again, though, if Trump is trying to negotiate a peaceful "civil war", one which avoids wanton bloodshed, he's not going to try and use logic, facts, data, etc. He's going to use rhetoric.
Q acts like a personification of rhetoric. The information may not be accurate, but if that's what you're looking for, you're making a "category error" in understanding the kind of information being presented. For the same reason that facts and data aren't very persuasive, opening bids and disinformation aren't very informational.
The goal isn't to dictate the future in explicit and accurate detail, but to shift narratives and influence possibilities. For example, if a liberal was going to do X, but there is enough clout with Q that something Q posts dissuades the liberal. How would you "prove" that Q did anything at all?
If your opening bid were smaller, how would that have affected the final negotiated price? What about if bigger?
What this "means" is that folks are trying to use the nature of indeterminacy to claim that something someone else is doing is wrong, misleading, or even hurtful, because of how they interpret the cause-effect relationships and the consequences which follow, while hopefully distracting you from the fact that they'll offer no better alternative.
If nobody can predict the future, does that mean Q is "wrong" for trying to influence it to make certain possibilities more probable based on the information that whoever is behind Q has?
Are other prognosticators and translators of current events any more reliable than Q when it comes to details, or are they likewise most accurate when it comes to broad strokes?
Some of the things Q says are true. Some of the things Q desires I also desire.
Some of the things Q says are false. Some of the things Q desires I don't also desire.
But this is true of everyone I know, and not just Q, so why should I or anyone else be forced to "denounce" or "pledge allegiance to" whoever is behind the computer screen?
The shortest answer is "because someone believes their interests are best served by what they are doing regardless of how what they do impacts your interests."
Sure, there are people who have a desire for a messiah that will make too much of Q, but that's the codependent case anytime anyone shows up and claims that they can help solve an issue. If folks are so lazy as to think that a single source of information is all they'll ever need in life, then the problem is those people, not whatever the functional savior it is that month or year.
They're merely someone exploiting the foolish better than anyone else at the time, and are we really going to begrudge them for doing that?
If someone wants to help, immediate acceptance or rejection is foolish. If someone claims to have truth, immediate acceptance or rejection is foolish. Being forced into a binary when there are other viable options is foolish.
The whole circumstance is rather disappointing because, in the need to gain social status, folks have made a claim one way or another with respect to Q, and in so doing, have invited the very opportunity for being exposed as a fool that they believe taking a stance on Q was supposed to have helped them avoid.
Q puts out a lot of opening bids and it is very difficult to see what the counteroffers are, or whether negotiations on a topic have settled, or been responded to directly at all, because this game isn't being played out in the open for all too see. The signals and counter-signals are not meant for the people whose job it is to distract you from what's really going on, and they're not going to send a clear signal back as a response either.
We don't know for sure, and we may not live long enough to know for sure, so be wary of anyone who does know for sure and has follow-up suggestions to you on what you should do next based on their conclusions.
Don't be lazy, test and grow in understanding. Know your options and be willing to stand by the choices you make, regardless of what is popular. Cling to truth and not social status.
Showing posts with label Fools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fools. Show all posts
16.11.18
15.6.18
Daily Bible Study - Proverbs 11:1
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.
Proverbs 11:1 (NKJV).
God desires a high-trust society, and for us to deal with others honestly. This is enabled by seeing past the immediacy of selfishness to understanding both the temporal and eternal consequences of sin, the denying of God's order and design in favor of that which denounces God, and good.
The problem is that, and this this is an issue that is difficult for a lot of folks, because so many were brought up under false pretenses, under empty rhetoric which should have been suspicious, that has put down deep roots, and it's hard to tear that up and face reality.
Trying to behave honestly with those who are dishonest is not "justice". That's a dishonest scale, though not for the reasons that may be most obviously apparent.
Denying truth is not something that aligns with God's desires, God's nature. If someone is dealing with you dishonestly, and you ignore that to pretend like they are dealing with you honestly, you are denying truth in your circumstances. While I don't think that qualifies as sin, nor would being the victim of a circumstance you could have averted, it would affirm that you are a fool, and we've been hearing a lot about them throughout Proverbs.
God desires that we deal with people honestly, but that doesn't mean we ignore what's literally happening in front of us, that we deceive ourselves. If someone is being dishonest, the scales are not made just because of our actions, because of our ignoring their sinful attempts to attain selfish gain.
Proverbs was written in an era of Israel's history when it was likely high-trust. The reason we can tell is from the punishments for those who broke The Law. Consequences are foundational to trust because, if someone wrongs you, and there is no consequence, why wouldn't someone do so to benefit themselves? There's no consequence for the act, so how could it even be considered "wrong"?
Thus why Israel, in obedience to God, with consequences both eternal and temporal, would have been a place which should have trended towards trustworthiness because the cost of deceit was so high.
Should have.
Thus the difference between what God desires and what God allows, what God abhors but will judge eternally and that which God abhors and will judge both temporally and eternally.
This does not excuse sin, it just means that the modern interpretations of sin, where one's own pursuits of justice, one's righteousness, counts for anything, is a tragic lie that has brought much pain and suffering which would have otherwise been averted. People have been fools, thinking God would reward their foolishness, and that's simply not the case.
We should strive after what God desires, but not partake in deceptions and lies, even if only to ourselves, in order to accomplish it. God will not only not honor what we accomplish, we will be judged by the arrogance in presuming that our way, and not God's way, is the correct path for demonstrating obedience to God.
But a just weight is His delight.
Proverbs 11:1 (NKJV).
God desires a high-trust society, and for us to deal with others honestly. This is enabled by seeing past the immediacy of selfishness to understanding both the temporal and eternal consequences of sin, the denying of God's order and design in favor of that which denounces God, and good.
The problem is that, and this this is an issue that is difficult for a lot of folks, because so many were brought up under false pretenses, under empty rhetoric which should have been suspicious, that has put down deep roots, and it's hard to tear that up and face reality.
Trying to behave honestly with those who are dishonest is not "justice". That's a dishonest scale, though not for the reasons that may be most obviously apparent.
Denying truth is not something that aligns with God's desires, God's nature. If someone is dealing with you dishonestly, and you ignore that to pretend like they are dealing with you honestly, you are denying truth in your circumstances. While I don't think that qualifies as sin, nor would being the victim of a circumstance you could have averted, it would affirm that you are a fool, and we've been hearing a lot about them throughout Proverbs.
God desires that we deal with people honestly, but that doesn't mean we ignore what's literally happening in front of us, that we deceive ourselves. If someone is being dishonest, the scales are not made just because of our actions, because of our ignoring their sinful attempts to attain selfish gain.
Proverbs was written in an era of Israel's history when it was likely high-trust. The reason we can tell is from the punishments for those who broke The Law. Consequences are foundational to trust because, if someone wrongs you, and there is no consequence, why wouldn't someone do so to benefit themselves? There's no consequence for the act, so how could it even be considered "wrong"?
Thus why Israel, in obedience to God, with consequences both eternal and temporal, would have been a place which should have trended towards trustworthiness because the cost of deceit was so high.
Should have.
Thus the difference between what God desires and what God allows, what God abhors but will judge eternally and that which God abhors and will judge both temporally and eternally.
This does not excuse sin, it just means that the modern interpretations of sin, where one's own pursuits of justice, one's righteousness, counts for anything, is a tragic lie that has brought much pain and suffering which would have otherwise been averted. People have been fools, thinking God would reward their foolishness, and that's simply not the case.
We should strive after what God desires, but not partake in deceptions and lies, even if only to ourselves, in order to accomplish it. God will not only not honor what we accomplish, we will be judged by the arrogance in presuming that our way, and not God's way, is the correct path for demonstrating obedience to God.
8.6.18
Daily Bible Study - Proverbs 10:23-25
To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
Proverbs 10:23-25 (NKJV).
If you've been keeping track of the themes which resonate with me, you know how this passage is going to go. There's a dead horse and I am going to beat it yet again.
Nobody looks wise until after consequences have landed. When the cards haven't been shown, when the dice haven't stopped, when the smoke hasn't cleared, when the dust hasn't settled, when the outcomes have not yet fully matured, there is a time of question, uncertainty. There is an excitement in that uncertainty, in taking a risk and not knowing what will come of your choice.
The problem is that not every choice in life is like this, unless you're a fool.
There are choices which have entirely predictable outcomes.
There are causes which produce the same effect every single time.
All modern technology is based on this being true. Every political system is based on this being true. Every piece of advice, every instruction, every word of warning, every caution, relies on this being true.
It's woven into the very fabric of our existence that there is a reason things happen, and that when we don't know why, that does not mean there is no reason, we just don't know what it is or how to define it.
Solomon discusses the ultimate fates of the wise and the fool so regularly and so frequently because even knowing what will come next, fools will make the same bad choice.
She knows he is bad for her but maybe this time it will be different.
He knows she doesn't respect him, but maybe the sacrifices he makes for her will change her mind.
We see the dynamics of wisdom and foolishness play out in relationships between people all the time. Choices are made not on what is going to be the inevitable result, based on what happened last time, but what we want to happen. We keep thinking that if we try again, maybe this time the odds will be in our favor.
That's our own stupidity on display, and nothing more. It's not about being a "dreamer" or an "ideologue", it's about denying reality in favor of fantasy, and then having the gall to be surprised when our fantasies do not manifest. We don't understand how or why they could, so we'll never learn whether they're even possible.
In this passage, Solomon is highlighting this for us yet again. Fools will view their rejection of wisdom like some sort of game, as if the consequences don't matter, as if all scars heal and go away, as if their ultimate fate is more random chance than anything else, so why not do what you're told not to do and see what happens for yourself?
The problem is that life is not pure chance. Humans behave in patterns, there's reasons why things happen and we can learn about them and adjust our behavior accordingly. This applies from the mundane, like the connection between brushing one's teeth and dental health, to the more intimate, like the consequences on our relationship future based on the attributes our mate possesses.
There are some aspects of life which are randomized, which do not have a clear outcome, but we do not exist in a binary where all outcomes are either all predetermined or all outcomes are random.
There's a mix, but fools act as if their choices don't matter, and then go one step further and turn the rejection of wisdom into sport.
Sometimes the choices we make won't have consequences which come to pass for many years, if not decades. Medical issues are a great demonstration of this, where past choices affect a future that is a very long ways away, or at least we hope.
We eat wrong, thinking that because the bad consequences aren't immediate, maybe they'll never show up at all. We ingest poisons, we do not exercise, we do not take care of our bodies, and by the time we've figured out how foolish we've been? It's often too late to change the path significantly because consequences have already started landing and permanently changing huge chunks of our lives at the same time.
But we invite that upon ourselves through our ignorant arrogance, our foolishness.
This is why Solomon, and in turn I, will keep beating this dead horse, why we'll keep trying to emphasize the value in wisdom in the present so that you can live it out and reap the rewards in due time, instead of only being able to appreciate what wisdom could have done for you, and only reap destruction.
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
Proverbs 10:23-25 (NKJV).
If you've been keeping track of the themes which resonate with me, you know how this passage is going to go. There's a dead horse and I am going to beat it yet again.
Nobody looks wise until after consequences have landed. When the cards haven't been shown, when the dice haven't stopped, when the smoke hasn't cleared, when the dust hasn't settled, when the outcomes have not yet fully matured, there is a time of question, uncertainty. There is an excitement in that uncertainty, in taking a risk and not knowing what will come of your choice.
The problem is that not every choice in life is like this, unless you're a fool.
There are choices which have entirely predictable outcomes.
There are causes which produce the same effect every single time.
All modern technology is based on this being true. Every political system is based on this being true. Every piece of advice, every instruction, every word of warning, every caution, relies on this being true.
It's woven into the very fabric of our existence that there is a reason things happen, and that when we don't know why, that does not mean there is no reason, we just don't know what it is or how to define it.
Solomon discusses the ultimate fates of the wise and the fool so regularly and so frequently because even knowing what will come next, fools will make the same bad choice.
She knows he is bad for her but maybe this time it will be different.
He knows she doesn't respect him, but maybe the sacrifices he makes for her will change her mind.
We see the dynamics of wisdom and foolishness play out in relationships between people all the time. Choices are made not on what is going to be the inevitable result, based on what happened last time, but what we want to happen. We keep thinking that if we try again, maybe this time the odds will be in our favor.
That's our own stupidity on display, and nothing more. It's not about being a "dreamer" or an "ideologue", it's about denying reality in favor of fantasy, and then having the gall to be surprised when our fantasies do not manifest. We don't understand how or why they could, so we'll never learn whether they're even possible.
In this passage, Solomon is highlighting this for us yet again. Fools will view their rejection of wisdom like some sort of game, as if the consequences don't matter, as if all scars heal and go away, as if their ultimate fate is more random chance than anything else, so why not do what you're told not to do and see what happens for yourself?
The problem is that life is not pure chance. Humans behave in patterns, there's reasons why things happen and we can learn about them and adjust our behavior accordingly. This applies from the mundane, like the connection between brushing one's teeth and dental health, to the more intimate, like the consequences on our relationship future based on the attributes our mate possesses.
There are some aspects of life which are randomized, which do not have a clear outcome, but we do not exist in a binary where all outcomes are either all predetermined or all outcomes are random.
There's a mix, but fools act as if their choices don't matter, and then go one step further and turn the rejection of wisdom into sport.
Sometimes the choices we make won't have consequences which come to pass for many years, if not decades. Medical issues are a great demonstration of this, where past choices affect a future that is a very long ways away, or at least we hope.
We eat wrong, thinking that because the bad consequences aren't immediate, maybe they'll never show up at all. We ingest poisons, we do not exercise, we do not take care of our bodies, and by the time we've figured out how foolish we've been? It's often too late to change the path significantly because consequences have already started landing and permanently changing huge chunks of our lives at the same time.
But we invite that upon ourselves through our ignorant arrogance, our foolishness.
This is why Solomon, and in turn I, will keep beating this dead horse, why we'll keep trying to emphasize the value in wisdom in the present so that you can live it out and reap the rewards in due time, instead of only being able to appreciate what wisdom could have done for you, and only reap destruction.
6.6.18
Daily Bible Study - Proverbs 10:18-21
Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of wisdom.
Proverbs 10:18-21 (NKJV).
Did you know that talking more does not make what you say more valuable?
In the simplest sense, if the demand for you to talk remains the same, but you increase the supply, the relative "cost", based on the "value" of each additional utterance, goes down. If you are stranded in on ocean, what is the value of a single drop of saltwater to you?
In the current era, where perceptions hold so much value, it is counter-intuitive to understand this dynamic. We are to all seek out our 15 minutes of fame, and then find some way to milk that into another 15 minutes, and so on and so forth. We pursue celebrity because of what it affords us, not because of what it means to us, or what it says about us.
Validation, as one example, often comes through spoken word. People will take your words and put them forth as an echo of their own feelings, though your words act as a totem, the means by which their own thoughts can be expressed, and in seeking to express themselves, they also signal validation to the correctness of your own words.
So, if your goal is to get validation from as many as possible, the natural conclusion would then be to express as often and as uniquely as possible, so that you can offer those who are watching a multitude of opportunities to express themselves and bring you validation in return.
The problem is that this is an empty system, it's an exchange of nothing holding tangible value, and yet people's lives are consumed by the dynamic. One cannot be fed from the adoration of another.
It is in this spirit that Solomon then indicates that actions alone are not going to be what differentiates between the wise and the fool, at least within the dimension of verbosity. Fools are not incapable of speaking, in fact they speak so much that what they say has no value. The quantity and quality of speech then cannot be measured like one would gold or silver, more isn't better at all.
If anything, that the more one says, especially if it does not in any way provide benefit to the listener, the more likely that the speaker is simply trying to distract from their own faults and flaws. They speak much so get you fixated on the words they used, or the concepts those words described, that one has no time to really discern if what was said was of value. Who has time to evaluate the last statement made when five more are already on their way?
Do not value based on quantity, because quality when it comes to wisdom is found in the results, not the process. It doesn't take a lot to provide wisdom, though it can require a lot to explain all the details and background behind why what is wise is so.
Take this blog, and the path through Proverbs. Many of these verses have very plain meanings, simple implications, and so instead of trying to add on to that meaning, weaving complex narratives as to the "true meaning", effort is spent trying to explore the meaning already there to the fullest, and then use the backdrop of the world we live in to understand how the words are not dead, but thousands of years on are still as relevant as ever.
That said, and we "know" this, right? That "less is more"? Keep this in mind when interacting with others, provide them first what is useful, and only seek to pontificate further should they be interested in going down that path. Otherwise they'll grow justifiably suspicious as to what you are trying to hide behind your many words.
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of wisdom.
Proverbs 10:18-21 (NKJV).
Did you know that talking more does not make what you say more valuable?
In the simplest sense, if the demand for you to talk remains the same, but you increase the supply, the relative "cost", based on the "value" of each additional utterance, goes down. If you are stranded in on ocean, what is the value of a single drop of saltwater to you?
In the current era, where perceptions hold so much value, it is counter-intuitive to understand this dynamic. We are to all seek out our 15 minutes of fame, and then find some way to milk that into another 15 minutes, and so on and so forth. We pursue celebrity because of what it affords us, not because of what it means to us, or what it says about us.
Validation, as one example, often comes through spoken word. People will take your words and put them forth as an echo of their own feelings, though your words act as a totem, the means by which their own thoughts can be expressed, and in seeking to express themselves, they also signal validation to the correctness of your own words.
So, if your goal is to get validation from as many as possible, the natural conclusion would then be to express as often and as uniquely as possible, so that you can offer those who are watching a multitude of opportunities to express themselves and bring you validation in return.
The problem is that this is an empty system, it's an exchange of nothing holding tangible value, and yet people's lives are consumed by the dynamic. One cannot be fed from the adoration of another.
It is in this spirit that Solomon then indicates that actions alone are not going to be what differentiates between the wise and the fool, at least within the dimension of verbosity. Fools are not incapable of speaking, in fact they speak so much that what they say has no value. The quantity and quality of speech then cannot be measured like one would gold or silver, more isn't better at all.
If anything, that the more one says, especially if it does not in any way provide benefit to the listener, the more likely that the speaker is simply trying to distract from their own faults and flaws. They speak much so get you fixated on the words they used, or the concepts those words described, that one has no time to really discern if what was said was of value. Who has time to evaluate the last statement made when five more are already on their way?
Do not value based on quantity, because quality when it comes to wisdom is found in the results, not the process. It doesn't take a lot to provide wisdom, though it can require a lot to explain all the details and background behind why what is wise is so.
Take this blog, and the path through Proverbs. Many of these verses have very plain meanings, simple implications, and so instead of trying to add on to that meaning, weaving complex narratives as to the "true meaning", effort is spent trying to explore the meaning already there to the fullest, and then use the backdrop of the world we live in to understand how the words are not dead, but thousands of years on are still as relevant as ever.
That said, and we "know" this, right? That "less is more"? Keep this in mind when interacting with others, provide them first what is useful, and only seek to pontificate further should they be interested in going down that path. Otherwise they'll grow justifiably suspicious as to what you are trying to hide behind your many words.
30.5.18
Daily Bible Study - Proverbs 10:14
Wise people store up knowledge,
But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
Proverbs 10:14 (NKJV).
You should change "gurus" when they have no longer provide a path to truth. Whether this is a pastor at your church, or someone who shares the same hobby or interests, you should humble yourself and learn as much as you can from their greater experience, but then you must move on.
Wisdom is not itself an action, it's the guidance behind action, and to grow in wisdom you must grow in knowledge so that you can see the patterns in your circumstance and align it to the wisdom and knowledge you've already gained.
Take the earlier portions of Proverbs, for example. If you were to take the information too literally, you'd think that all you need to do to avoid adultery is not walk down particular streets. While "red light" districts are an exception, the true knowledge isn't in the specifics of how the ignorant fool was ensnared, but that he could be ensnared at all and what behaviors would be used by the immoral woman to ensnare him.
Compare this to the old adage about "teaching a man to fish" versus "giving a man a fish". Wisdom is not about giving someone a fish, a single correct answer which, outside that specific problem showing back up again, is essentially useless. Wisdom is about teaching how to fish, teaching the underlying dynamics, the patterns, and growing in knowledge about how all these things can interact with each other to produce unique circumstances where universal truths are still applicable.
In this short passage, the contrast between the wise and foolish is in how they spend time, what it is that could define them. In our lives, we've been around people who talk too much, folks who run at the mouth and don't ever listen. That's the kind of fool being described, because if you persist in speaking, eventually you'll say something that will ensnare you somehow, and the probability of that happening increases the more ignorant you are.
We know this colloquially under the label "inappropriate". Talking about disbursement of inheritance at the memorial service, for example, might be seen as lacking tact. A fool would run off at the mouth and offend their family and generate antagonism out of their ignorance as to the appropriate time to discuss such matters.
It's in this fashion that the words a person uses cannot, by themselves, tell you everything. You need context, and that's where the "wise" who are gathering knowledge will be quick to listen and slow to speak, wisdom which shows up later in scripture.
The fool doesn't know about or doesn't care about the consequences of destruction that their tongue will bring upon them, but the wise will speak, and act, with prudence and intention.
Solomon is drawing attention to this dynamic in the contrast between the wise who could share the knowledge they've gained versus the foolish whose lips will bring destruction.
Any one "guru" will have some sample of truth, a finite collection of useful knowledge, and you will eventually hit their limit and need to continue your journey. With God there is no limit, but we are not really interacting directly with God, but with people who have interacted with God, and whose knowledge is filtered through their own life experiences and ponders.
To continue gathering knowledge, then, you need to learn from people who have had different experiences and combine that with what you've already learned to synthesize your understanding of the universal truths behind the specific occurrences, to find the patterns, to see them play out, and to practice identifying where you are in any one pattern.
You can't do that by talking all the time.You need to listen, to gather knowledge.
“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” - Mark Twain
But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
Proverbs 10:14 (NKJV).
You should change "gurus" when they have no longer provide a path to truth. Whether this is a pastor at your church, or someone who shares the same hobby or interests, you should humble yourself and learn as much as you can from their greater experience, but then you must move on.
Wisdom is not itself an action, it's the guidance behind action, and to grow in wisdom you must grow in knowledge so that you can see the patterns in your circumstance and align it to the wisdom and knowledge you've already gained.
Take the earlier portions of Proverbs, for example. If you were to take the information too literally, you'd think that all you need to do to avoid adultery is not walk down particular streets. While "red light" districts are an exception, the true knowledge isn't in the specifics of how the ignorant fool was ensnared, but that he could be ensnared at all and what behaviors would be used by the immoral woman to ensnare him.
Compare this to the old adage about "teaching a man to fish" versus "giving a man a fish". Wisdom is not about giving someone a fish, a single correct answer which, outside that specific problem showing back up again, is essentially useless. Wisdom is about teaching how to fish, teaching the underlying dynamics, the patterns, and growing in knowledge about how all these things can interact with each other to produce unique circumstances where universal truths are still applicable.
In this short passage, the contrast between the wise and foolish is in how they spend time, what it is that could define them. In our lives, we've been around people who talk too much, folks who run at the mouth and don't ever listen. That's the kind of fool being described, because if you persist in speaking, eventually you'll say something that will ensnare you somehow, and the probability of that happening increases the more ignorant you are.
We know this colloquially under the label "inappropriate". Talking about disbursement of inheritance at the memorial service, for example, might be seen as lacking tact. A fool would run off at the mouth and offend their family and generate antagonism out of their ignorance as to the appropriate time to discuss such matters.
It's in this fashion that the words a person uses cannot, by themselves, tell you everything. You need context, and that's where the "wise" who are gathering knowledge will be quick to listen and slow to speak, wisdom which shows up later in scripture.
The fool doesn't know about or doesn't care about the consequences of destruction that their tongue will bring upon them, but the wise will speak, and act, with prudence and intention.
Solomon is drawing attention to this dynamic in the contrast between the wise who could share the knowledge they've gained versus the foolish whose lips will bring destruction.
Any one "guru" will have some sample of truth, a finite collection of useful knowledge, and you will eventually hit their limit and need to continue your journey. With God there is no limit, but we are not really interacting directly with God, but with people who have interacted with God, and whose knowledge is filtered through their own life experiences and ponders.
To continue gathering knowledge, then, you need to learn from people who have had different experiences and combine that with what you've already learned to synthesize your understanding of the universal truths behind the specific occurrences, to find the patterns, to see them play out, and to practice identifying where you are in any one pattern.
You can't do that by talking all the time.You need to listen, to gather knowledge.
“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” - Mark Twain
1.5.18
Daily Bible Study: Proverbs 10:10
He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
Proverbs 10:10 (NKJV).
There's an adage that goes "oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
Winking of the eyes, or shuffling of the feet, are old testament phrases which connote when someone is scheming or planning something, or when you need to be able to send secret messages, and which in a high-trust society, would look entirely out of place and suspicious.
It's thus not difficult to imagine that even pretending to "send signals" will draw undue attention and problems, whether you've really anything to hide or not. Just think about it briefly, why would you behave like someone sketchy without a good reason? Why would you intentionally draw attention to your own behavior in this manner?
In addition, we've got a direct repeat of the prior phrase about prating fools, the obnoxious and verbose type of fool who runs at the mouth. So, what's the contrast here?
While behaving in an odd manner causes problems, or at least implies them, regardless of one's intent, it won't necessarily cause problems like blabbing endlessly can. While causing trouble is not good, falling is downright bad.
People may think you odd, and you may have to explain your behavior to alleviate curiosity, but if you're incessant in conversation, you'll blurt out things which you have no need to say at all in the first place.
More than once in popular culture have there been comedy routines where someone was trying to convey some sort of secret message, and their failure to do so was the source of the humor. These types of scenarios often endear us to the characters, because we can understand communication difficulties, and how perceptions can mislead and cause unintended problems.
However, we do not ever really like the chatterbox. The humor is always at their expense, mocking who they are and not just what they're doing at that time. We laugh at them, not with them.
Similarly, when outside the realm of comedy, we treat people different based on their behaviors, because those behaviors have a reason behind them and we're responding to that reason, as best we understand it.
While those who scheme may still be fools, the consequences for their behavior are different, and in the process of seeking wisdom it's good to understand that not all bad behavior leads to the exact same negative consequences. This is not to redeem or to suggest that the "less bad" are acceptable, but just to understand the dynamics of behavior and what's really going on and how our actions lead to different consequences.
But a prating fool will fall.
Proverbs 10:10 (NKJV).
There's an adage that goes "oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
Winking of the eyes, or shuffling of the feet, are old testament phrases which connote when someone is scheming or planning something, or when you need to be able to send secret messages, and which in a high-trust society, would look entirely out of place and suspicious.
It's thus not difficult to imagine that even pretending to "send signals" will draw undue attention and problems, whether you've really anything to hide or not. Just think about it briefly, why would you behave like someone sketchy without a good reason? Why would you intentionally draw attention to your own behavior in this manner?
In addition, we've got a direct repeat of the prior phrase about prating fools, the obnoxious and verbose type of fool who runs at the mouth. So, what's the contrast here?
While behaving in an odd manner causes problems, or at least implies them, regardless of one's intent, it won't necessarily cause problems like blabbing endlessly can. While causing trouble is not good, falling is downright bad.
People may think you odd, and you may have to explain your behavior to alleviate curiosity, but if you're incessant in conversation, you'll blurt out things which you have no need to say at all in the first place.
More than once in popular culture have there been comedy routines where someone was trying to convey some sort of secret message, and their failure to do so was the source of the humor. These types of scenarios often endear us to the characters, because we can understand communication difficulties, and how perceptions can mislead and cause unintended problems.
However, we do not ever really like the chatterbox. The humor is always at their expense, mocking who they are and not just what they're doing at that time. We laugh at them, not with them.
Similarly, when outside the realm of comedy, we treat people different based on their behaviors, because those behaviors have a reason behind them and we're responding to that reason, as best we understand it.
While those who scheme may still be fools, the consequences for their behavior are different, and in the process of seeking wisdom it's good to understand that not all bad behavior leads to the exact same negative consequences. This is not to redeem or to suggest that the "less bad" are acceptable, but just to understand the dynamics of behavior and what's really going on and how our actions lead to different consequences.
30.4.18
Daily Bible Study: Proverbs 10:8-9
The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
Proverbs 10:8-9 (NKJV).
Your ways will find you out, sooner or later. That is the inevitability of a world which is constantly veering towards chaos, or at least an order which is not hospitable to our own comfort, let alone survival.
Knowing that, from prior passages, the wise are already self-aware, being able to receive commands is just an extension of receiving wisdom and guidance. For the same reason that you are humbling yourself to learn from God, you can do the same for those in positions of authority over you. This is especially important when dealing with complicated circumstances where your own perceptions are limited and you need to rely on someone who is looking at things from a bigger perspective.
In contrast, we have the fools who run the spectrum on whether their folly is discovered in the short or long term. The "prating fool" is obvious, and we've all run into them in our lives, the type of person who can't be told anything but has to be the one making all the pertinent points in a conversation, dominating it. Even if all they're contributing is the sound of their voice, they must simply keep talking.
This first group falls because their decisions are only as good as their ability to act on their own perceptions, and given that we're all finite beings, we're prone to misunderstandings. There are generally three types of knowledge: what you know you know, what you know you don't know, and what you don't know you don't know.
For the prating fool, the first type of information they have in spades, at least according to them. The second type only contains information which is irrelevant or useless, and the third type simply doesn't exist. Amusingly, one does not need to think hard about circumstances in their own life where the second type of information became an issue, let alone the third, so again the failures are found in the disparity between claims and reality.
When highly competent, even the prating fool will see success, but only for a time. The immediacy of consequences is not the most important aspect compared to the inevitability of them. For the same reason that, having jumped out of an airplane without a parachute, it doesn't really matter how long you're falling before the final consequences hit, that you may still be halfway to the ground does not mean you won't ever hit the ground.
This also leads to the second group of fools which, while perhaps not as overtly talkative, is still refusing to make choices which are wise. The contrast here is between integrity and perversion, which may imply that even fools who listen to wisdom, but do not then apply it as they indicated they would, are not spared the inevitability of their choices being brought to light.
If someone gives you good advice and you choose to ignore it, the disparity will become obvious as consequences play out, because our behaviors reflect our choices, and pursuing different means will get you different ends that, even if superficially similar, are not quite the same at all.
Take used car sales. The goal is to make a profit selling used cars. One could do this by ensuring that the vehicles are adequately serviced and that you have good customer relations, or by simply pushing the vehicles out the door to the unsuspecting and focusing on volume instead of individual deals.
Both are trying to achieve the same "ends" of making a profit selling used cars, but the means are different, and one will lead to a destroyed reputation, albeit with cash in your pocket faster, than if you'd dealt with integrity and honesty. The ends don't necessarily distinguish, and so the means is how the wise and the fool are distinguished.
Because the fools and the wise behave differently, even if hidden for a time, or blatantly obvious at the outset, the differences will always come to light, and no amount of explanation after-the-fact will change the circumstances from what they are as a result of the past choices.
Listen to wisdom, the exhortations of those whose perspective encompasses information which you may not be aware of, and then move forward with integrity.
But a prating fool will fall.
He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
Proverbs 10:8-9 (NKJV).
Your ways will find you out, sooner or later. That is the inevitability of a world which is constantly veering towards chaos, or at least an order which is not hospitable to our own comfort, let alone survival.
Knowing that, from prior passages, the wise are already self-aware, being able to receive commands is just an extension of receiving wisdom and guidance. For the same reason that you are humbling yourself to learn from God, you can do the same for those in positions of authority over you. This is especially important when dealing with complicated circumstances where your own perceptions are limited and you need to rely on someone who is looking at things from a bigger perspective.
In contrast, we have the fools who run the spectrum on whether their folly is discovered in the short or long term. The "prating fool" is obvious, and we've all run into them in our lives, the type of person who can't be told anything but has to be the one making all the pertinent points in a conversation, dominating it. Even if all they're contributing is the sound of their voice, they must simply keep talking.
This first group falls because their decisions are only as good as their ability to act on their own perceptions, and given that we're all finite beings, we're prone to misunderstandings. There are generally three types of knowledge: what you know you know, what you know you don't know, and what you don't know you don't know.
For the prating fool, the first type of information they have in spades, at least according to them. The second type only contains information which is irrelevant or useless, and the third type simply doesn't exist. Amusingly, one does not need to think hard about circumstances in their own life where the second type of information became an issue, let alone the third, so again the failures are found in the disparity between claims and reality.
When highly competent, even the prating fool will see success, but only for a time. The immediacy of consequences is not the most important aspect compared to the inevitability of them. For the same reason that, having jumped out of an airplane without a parachute, it doesn't really matter how long you're falling before the final consequences hit, that you may still be halfway to the ground does not mean you won't ever hit the ground.
This also leads to the second group of fools which, while perhaps not as overtly talkative, is still refusing to make choices which are wise. The contrast here is between integrity and perversion, which may imply that even fools who listen to wisdom, but do not then apply it as they indicated they would, are not spared the inevitability of their choices being brought to light.
If someone gives you good advice and you choose to ignore it, the disparity will become obvious as consequences play out, because our behaviors reflect our choices, and pursuing different means will get you different ends that, even if superficially similar, are not quite the same at all.
Take used car sales. The goal is to make a profit selling used cars. One could do this by ensuring that the vehicles are adequately serviced and that you have good customer relations, or by simply pushing the vehicles out the door to the unsuspecting and focusing on volume instead of individual deals.
Both are trying to achieve the same "ends" of making a profit selling used cars, but the means are different, and one will lead to a destroyed reputation, albeit with cash in your pocket faster, than if you'd dealt with integrity and honesty. The ends don't necessarily distinguish, and so the means is how the wise and the fool are distinguished.
Because the fools and the wise behave differently, even if hidden for a time, or blatantly obvious at the outset, the differences will always come to light, and no amount of explanation after-the-fact will change the circumstances from what they are as a result of the past choices.
Listen to wisdom, the exhortations of those whose perspective encompasses information which you may not be aware of, and then move forward with integrity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)