"Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their own opinions."

The Bible does not contain New Truths, it contains Old Truths that are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago.  In Proverbs 18:2, the Lord teaches us that "Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their opinions."  People today tend to view many people as being Fools.  So point to hate groups like Neo Nazis as today's Fools, others point to whom they call "Leftist Snowflakes" as the Fools of the day.  Still others point to Congress, the President, or even the United Nations as the Fools.  However, one must ask themselves "Have I ever played the Fool?"  I had hoped that I didn't.  I certainly haven't always agreed with those who have views different from me, but I always believed in allowing them to speak and present their case.  However, I soon learned that I was indeed guilty of being the Fool.  

While I didn't scream and throw temper tantrums when people expressed different views on certain issues, I still assumed on many that I was right and they were wrong.  However, when I began examining the views of my opponents,  studying their books, and seeing why they believe what they believe, I actually began to learn that many of their views were actually very accurate.  Over time I came to realize that I was guilty of being the Fool.  I was so convinced at times that I had the right answers that I waved off those who voiced views to the contrary, but the Bible taught me to humble myself and to open my mind, and my heart.  When I chose to open my heart to views to contradicted my own, I found that my feelings on many began to change.  My views of abortion, capital punishment, the purpose of our justice system, international conflicts, and even God have changed over the course of time.  

Unfortunately, I have all too often met people who refuse to change their beliefs, even when facts prove their beliefs wrong time and time again.  One would like to think that it's only hate mongers and conspiracy activists that are guilty of playing the "Fool," but this is not the case.  People of all walks of life are guilty of this.  For many people, when their long-standing worldviews effectively challenged, no amount of evidence will dissuade them.  Whether they're political views, societal views, or faith-based views, so many are so entrenched in their beliefs, that they refuse to consider the views of others, even if their opponents have valid data to back them up.  When many cannot bear the fact that they could be wrong, they make no attempt to gain understanding, but make every attempt to silence their opponents.  At public speaking events they try to shout them down.  They seek to silence them on mainstream media or social media.  They refuse to debate and when they  do, constantly interrupt and belittle.  These people become Fools.  They have no interest in dialogue, no desire to build understanding, they just want everything their way, even when the facts show that their ways are not possible.  

These people, who are allowing themselves to become Fools need to learn a very important lesson that I myself learned: humility.  Proverbs 3:7-8 teaches us that "We must never think that we are wise enough, but respect the Lord and stay away from evil.  This will make you healthy and you will feel strong."  We are often sold on the importance of confidence, to remain confident in the face of oppression, but if left unchecked, our confidence can change to egotism, leading to the belief that your views cannot be wrong, no matter what others may say and what evidence that they present.  So the lesson that must be learned is to be confident, but be humble.  Refusing to consider the views of those contrary to your own can be costly, not only to you as an individual, but to the lives of those around you as well.