Back in 1979 the funny Peter Sellers starred in a movie called Being There. It is a story of an uneducated gardener who is thrown into society for the first time and by his simple, cryptic allusions to gardening is taken to be a wise man. He eventually becomes a major advisor to the President of the United States, and is touted by some to replace him in the next term.
It turns out he was a fool. Inscrutable, but a fool. I don’t think I have seen the entire movie, but excerpts I saw showed a masterful performance by Sellers. The movie comes to mind when I read Proverbs 27:27-28, “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.”
A knowledgeable, but humble person sees no reason to flout his knowledge. His words are few. Reticence does not indicate ignorance as in the movie. But, conversely a man can be construed as wise if he keeps his mouth shut.
What doesn’t work is a fool, through his words, trying to convince someone he is wise! As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:3, “…a fool’s voice is known by his many words.” Something to think about next time before we speak up and show our ignorance!
