Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie

“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.”—Proverbs 26:4–5 (NIV)Few passages in Proverbs sound more contradictory than this one. In one verse, Solomon says, “Don’t answer a fool.” In the very next, he says, “Do answer a fool.” At first glance, it appears to be sending mixed signals. But that tension is the lesson. In leadership, as in life, wisdom isn’t about having the correct answer every time; it’s about knowing when to answer and how to respond. There’s a kind of noise in today’s marketplace that didn’t exist in Solomon’s day. It lives in comment sections, meeting rooms, and social media feeds. The good news is that everyone has a microphone. The bad news is that everyone has a microphone. Everyone has an opinion. And not all opinions deserve our engagement. The “fool” in this proverb isn’t a person with low intelligence; it’s a person with limited understanding. A fool refuses correction, elevates ego over truth, and argues to win, not to learn.Thanks for listening to Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marketplaceproverbs.substack.com