Suffering Fools

In Search of a Wisewoman

The old English word ‘suffer’ meant to allow, permit, or endure something without stopping it. A fool was someone perceived as lacking good sense, intelligence, or judgment. “To suffer fools gladly” means to be patient, kind, and tolerant toward people who are annoying, unwise, or incompetent. “ To not suffer fools gladly” means to describe a person who is impatient and who has zero tolerance for foolish behavior or ignorance. It was the apostle Paul in Corinthians that said, “Ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.” He was actually being sarcastic in scolding the Corinthians because they were tolerating and listening to false teachers.

How is it we have have eons to evolve and yet seem to keep missing the mark? The internet has the capacity to have infinite reach for communication but never have the fools had such a platform. The person who speaks truth in, for example, science which requires proof before it can be stated as truth, has been trampled by the mentally “great unwashed” who proudly claim their idiocy is equal to the erudite facts. While it is human nature to despise condescension, it would seem that the line is blurry between someone trying to point out ignorance and the ignorant feeling pointed out.

The mind that sees clearly, that is capable of analysis and critical thinking, walks a fine line. To suffer fools requires its own tool box and in that tool box is a superior vocabulary that in the words of Winston Churchill describing tact and diplomacy enables one to tell someone to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip, that and a great deal of patience to find those few who can be shown a better path. So many applications. So little time when the alligators are multiplying.