{26:4} Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. {26:5} Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. Proverbs 26:4-5

Read that verse several times, it appears to contradict itself doesn't it.
In fact it IS a logical contradiction!
Well, recently the Lord put me through an experience where
He has taught me a little about what that means.


Here we see two things about fools. Folly and conceit.


Let's talk about conceit first.  What is it?
Being wise in your own eyes.
It is vanity, pure and simple.
It is a person who has such a high opinion of their own worth
that they see themselves as a hero, king of the hill, top gun.
It is a pride!
A fool thinks highly of himself and enjoys the flattery.
Their conceit causes them to be trapped within their own elaborate reasoning,
which brings us to folly.


A folly is an elaborate dance usually set to music.
And when you see a fool you realize they are dancing around the truth.
Rationalizing and explaining away everything they disapprove of,
and reasoning elaborately towards their own paradigm, their own model.
They want anything but the truth because that means the game is over
and they have to rebuild their model.
And they WANT you to play their game.
They've become good at it, that's what they know best,
that's what they live for.
A fool trapped in his folly knows only one tune,
all he hears is the music to his own dance.


So what is the instruction above?
 Answer not a fool according to his folly .
One interpretation might be,  don't play his game .
But what about the second half?
 Answer a fool according to his folly .
This seems like an obvious contradiction, but it's not!
It's a paradox.
What the Lord has shown me is that there is always a way
to answer a fool that exposes his game.
What he has also taught me is you can't be afraid to look foolish doing it.
But if you play his game you get sucked right into his trap.
Don't dance to his music or you'll be like him.
Expose his game and you have exposed his pride.


A fool thinks he has  the answer ,
a wise man knows he doesn't understand half the questions.
A fool trumpets his success, a wise man takes pity.
A fool dances to the same tune over and over, a wise many hears many songs.


How can you discern a fool?  Conceit and folly!
They take pride in their elaborate dance.


Lastly, check their crop, for you will reap what you sow.
You will know them by their fruit.