by April May Maple

Created on: October 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 21, 2010

Everyone has encountered a fool. While we might not understand the choices they make, dealing with fools is just part of life. A person should learn how to make sensible decisions from their parents, but that is not always the case. Thankfully, no one is cursed to be a fool forever and one can learn to be levelheaded.

While many of the actions of children are innocent and harmless, an adult that has the same mindset as a child is a fool. Children are creatures that rely on instant gratification, they have no patience for long term decisions and choosing the best course based on the outcome. A small child will see that pack of gum at the checkout counter and swipe it, not because they are thieves but because they want it and it is there and they do not know any better.

A parent will quickly explain to their young child that stealing is wrong and you can't take things that do not belong to you. They may make them apologize to the clerk, return the come and pay for it. A good parent curbs their child's foolish behavior and shows them that there are consequences to their actions.

"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." (Proverbs 22:15) Parents have a responsibility to their children to correct them when they act foolishly and give them the tools to make wise choices. A child that is not corrected and never given the opportunity or the tools to make wise choices will continue down the path of foolishness.

It is easy to forgive the misgivings and errors of a child but not so much an adult. We look at foolish children and point the finger at the parents. On the contrary, an adult who is foolish has no one to blame but himself. For those that witness his folly it is easy to see that he is leading to his own destructive end. Fools do not see things in such light and oftentimes their excuses only deceive themselves.

A drug dealer does not see the error in his habits. When he is caught, he blames the person who told on him. It is the informer's fault that his life fell apart. He is unable to connect his actions with their destructive outcomes. A fool will always have an excuse as to why things turned out the way they did and why it is not their fault. "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes." (Proverbs 12:15)

When a fool desires something, he does not consider the best way to achieve it. He wants it now and he acts hastily. A fool will lie, cheat and steal, never thinking twice as long as it gets him closer

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