Albert Einstein once quipped: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” Our world is indeed full of stupid people. And one wonders why that is. Of course, in order to get at that answer, we must look at ourselves: Are we (at least sometimes) stupid?
One of my favorite Bible verses is found in the book of Proverbs. It reads: “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, [b]ut he who hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1, NKJV).
The classic King James translates that last word as “brutish,” but I like “stupid.” I did some study on the Hebrew word which is behind “stupid” or “brutish.” That word (transliterated) is Ba`ar. According to BibleStudyTools.com, there are two definitions given: “to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled” and “to be stupid, brutish, barbarous.”
If we keep both those definitions in mind and look at the full verse, I think we can get a pretty clear idea of what is meant.
According to Solomon (the likely writer of this proverb), a person whose mind is closed to additional learning or information, who is obstinate (even cantankerous), and who is resistant toward correction is… stupid.
So let’s break that out…
Closing your mind, resisting any criticism or correction, and being stubborn in your mindset puts you in the category of “stupid.”
Sometimes, people can be passively stupid.
As a pastor, I sometimes find myself watching people sabotage their lives or at least make their lives much more difficult than circumstances warrant — and do so on repeat.
Imagine watching someone run into a wall. Then, they back up and run into the same wall again. Then they do it again. And again. You say something to them about it, and they thank you for your advice, and then they run into that same wall again. Over and over and over again.
To be clear, I have my own struggles (such as my weight). I too fall short in my own life at times. And I do not consider myself better than anyone else. Like the next person, I can sometimes fall into patterns of stupidity.
I want to be clear on that.
Still…as a pastor who cares about the people I serve…I have to say:
It is painful watching people run into the same wall over and over again.
And it’s tiring watching them do it over and over again after I’ve shared with them some insights from God’s word on how they can avoid running into that wall.
In a couple of situations, I’ve had to pull back from such people because I’ve said and done everything I could for them. When you’ve given everything you can give, you’ve given everything you can give.
Consider Jesus’s practical instruction in Matthew: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” (Matthew 7:6, NKJV).
You have to wisely manage your time and energy, and safeguard your own mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Pouring yourself continually into someone else who routinely resists, dismisses, ignores, and/or goes against your honest advice and help can be bad for both parties.
You have to be wise in how you help others and to what degree you can. And setting healthy boundaries is not only important, it’s crucial.
Nevertheless… there’s usually more hope for a passively stupid person than an aggressively stupid person. In many cases, the more passive person is aware of their pattern of stupidity. It just may take time – and a whole lot of prayer and additional help and resources – to get them on the right track.
In the case of the aggressive party, it’s very difficult to help such a person because they don’t believe they need help. They don’t believe they have a problem. They believe everyone else is the problem.
Such a person is often rude, antagonistic, and sometimes even violent.
The person at this stage is doing what Jesus says in the second part of Matthew 7:6. This person is not only trampling your goodwill and wisdom at their feet, they are turning against you and attacking you. And if you’re not careful, they will “tear you in pieces.”
I will have to write a separate post on what you can do in such a situation. For now, I’ll state the obvious:
- Pray for the person
- Encourage the person to get qualified, professional help
- Set healthy boundaries (and if they are coming after you to hurt you, consider pulling back entirely to the best extent possible)
My main focus in this article, though, is to make sure that YOU don’t become a stupid person.
How can we avoid being the stupid person in our relationships, careers, or lives in general?
The answer is found in Proverbs 12:1 and in doing the opposite of the Hebrew word Ba`ar:
- Pursue knowledge
- Love instruction
- Welcome feedback (including constructive criticism and correction)
- Don’t burn with anger or resentment toward others
- Stay humble
Do those things — and you will stay off the “stupid” path.
God bless you.
