“A wise man rules his passions, a fool obeys them.” -Publilius Syrus

Perhaps there is no greater mark of a fool that that of impulsiveness.

“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” -Proverbs 29:11

We ought to be wise enough to know that not all words that come into our mind are well-thought out and productive. When we recognize that a word or action may be considered borderline, (which we all must deal with from time to time), the difference between a wise man and a fool is in timing.

A fool will not stop and think of the consequences of his actions, and insists on doing something right now. Perhaps part of the heart of foolishness rests in pride: he is self-sufficient and does not know the folly that is common to all men. He does not comprehend how he could ever do wrong.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.” -Proverbs 12:15-16

A wise man will stop and think, and in many cases, he will afterward repent of the foolishness that he had conceived. Just as the proverb that states that if a man keeps silent and holds his peace, he’ll be esteemed to be wise, so too it is with actions. If a man keeps from impulsively acting on passions and angers, he will be esteemed wise.

“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” -Proverbs 17:28

• Are You Wiser than Silence?
• Great Souls Suffer in Silence
• The Persistent Folly of Fools
• The Foolishness of Rage
• A Time To Keep Silence, And A Time To Speak

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Godly Sayings by Dean