Have you ever been in a conversation where someone just wouldn’t shut up? They always had to have the last word, and they didn’t care if they understood what you were saying, as long as they could share their opinion. Proverbs 18:2 says that this kind of person is a fool. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with having an opinion. We all have them, and it’s good to share them. But when our opinions become more important to us than understanding what others are saying, then we’re in danger of becoming fools. Instead of trying to understand, we’re just looking for ways to disagree. We’re more concerned with being right than with finding out the truth.
If we’re going to avoid being fools, we need to learn to take pleasure in understanding. We need to be more interested in what others are saying than in sharing our own opinions. We need to be willing to listen and learn, even if it means that we’re not always right. Only then will we be able to have productive conversations and find true wisdom.
Proverbs 18:2 ESV
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Proverbs 18:2 tells us that a fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. This is certainly true of many people today. They would rather argue about their opinions than try to understand what is really true. This is a dangerous way to live, because it leads to division and conflict instead of harmony and cooperation. The wise person, on the other hand, takes pleasure in understanding. He realizes that there are often multiple sides to every issue, and that it is important to seek out the truth. This attitude leads to peace and unity rather than division and conflict. So which do you want to be: a fool who takes no pleasure in understanding, or a wise person who seeks after truth? The choice is yours.
Read more Bible verses on wisdom and understanding. This proverb is a warning against the dangers of pride and self-righteousness. When we are confident in our own opinions, we can easily become closed-minded and unwilling to listen to others. We may think that we already know everything we need to know, and that there is no value in seeking out new understanding. However, this attitude will ultimately lead to our downfall. The truth is that we can always learn from others, no matter how much we think we already know. By humble ourselves and opening our minds to new perspectives, we can gain wisdom and knowledge that we never would have otherwise. Proverbs 18:2 reminds us of the importance of remaining teachable throughout our lives.