Defining Stupidity
People are not born stupid. It is not a lack of intelligence. Forest Gump proved that once and for all. "Stupid is as stupid does," according to his mother. Well, the book of Proverbs leads us to a way of defining stupidity that is very helpful.(Proverbs 12:1)
Stupid people hate correction. They do not learn from being corrected for their mistakes. They get mad, or they rebel and insist on continuing to do things in the wrong way, which is usually "their" way. It stems from pride, because stupid people don't think they need to change or grow. They think they are just fine the way they are. These people will end up doing the wrong things over and over, because they do not learn from the consequences of their actions and their rebukes.
On the other hand, smart people love instruction. Smart people love to obtain and retain knowledge. Smart people realize that to make right decisions and to act right, they must have the data to make the right decision. Therefore, being smart is not an abundance of intelligence. It is using the intelligence God gave them to learn more and more, so they can do better and better.
Of course, all of this is based on God's wisdom and the knowledge He gives us. If people seek for the wrong knowledge and do the wrong things with it, they are stupid, too. All truth is God's truth. Anything that is not in line with God's Word and His character is not truth, and it will lead us astray.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Proverbs 13-16.
Stupid people hate correction. They do not learn from being corrected for their mistakes. They get mad, or they rebel and insist on continuing to do things in the wrong way, which is usually "their" way. It stems from pride, because stupid people don't think they need to change or grow. They think they are just fine the way they are. These people will end up doing the wrong things over and over, because they do not learn from the consequences of their actions and their rebukes.
On the other hand, smart people love instruction. Smart people love to obtain and retain knowledge. Smart people realize that to make right decisions and to act right, they must have the data to make the right decision. Therefore, being smart is not an abundance of intelligence. It is using the intelligence God gave them to learn more and more, so they can do better and better.
Of course, all of this is based on God's wisdom and the knowledge He gives us. If people seek for the wrong knowledge and do the wrong things with it, they are stupid, too. All truth is God's truth. Anything that is not in line with God's Word and His character is not truth, and it will lead us astray.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Proverbs 13-16.