Ignorant Pride

“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Pr 13:10 AV)

 

Ignorance and being opinionated is rooted in deep pride.  Not willing to listen and consider ends in strife and argument.  That is the simplest understanding of the proverb above.  Those who seek advice, listen, and consider are deemed wise.  This is self-explanatory.  But there is a deeper consideration here.  That is, the root of pride is founded in ignorance.  More times than not, this ignorance is willful.  We formulate opinions and ideas and then dare someone to prove us wrong.  No matter how much fact is introduced, we stick to our assessment.  Even if the facts cannot be completely known, we are unwilling to say that we are wrong.  Or, could be wrong.  This leads to world views and opinions being more emotionally driven than fact-driven.  This is exactly where we are today.  I have come to realize our world has been transformed from the age of enlightenment where human reason determined ideas to a post-enlightenment period where emotion determines one’s opinions and actions.  We have left ‘reason’ for feelings.  We are becoming willfully ignorant and thus pride is on the rise.  The end result is the clash of the prideful.

I witnessed the mother of all marital arguments between my parents.  It was something I had never seen before or since.  My parents were yelling at one another.  Not just disagreeing.  They were screaming.  Us kids thought for sure this would end in divorce.  If we were not around, it might have come to blows.  It was really scary.  What was the argument all about?  Finances?  Nope.  The remodeling project we were undertaking?  Nope.  A sibling’s bad behavior?  Nope.  The in-laws?  Nope.  A bad habit that had broken the proverbial back of the camel?  Nope.  What was it?  Muskmelon vs. cantaloupe.  One of my parents insisted they were the same thing.  The other refused to surrender and denied this assertion.  This went on for a good ten minutes or so.  Items were violently thrown to the floor.  A few choice words were even uttered.  Over what?  Over a debate which could be settled with an encyclopedia was allowed to boil over.  They did lighten the load when they saw their child’s eyes bug out real big.  So, the debate ended in a wager.  I don’t remember who took what position, but I do remember my Mom won!  What had caused the raucous?  Pride.  Pride based on ignorance.  Claiming to know something that turned out to be wrong and not wanting to admit one may not know what one thinks one knows led to the contention.

A little quietness of the heart and mind while seeking more information is a good way to battle the monster of pride.  In our proverb above, it is the will advised who are able to sustain peace.  Note is it not the advised.  Rather, it is the well-advised.  This does not mean we heap to ourselves information that supports our ideas and ignore all other sources.  To be advised means we seek out supporting, as well as, contrary opinions.  To be well-advised means we listen to all sorts of information, weeding out falsehood from truth.  Being well-advised means we are not quick to formulate opinions as to what we hear.  We listen to opposing points of view, examine them in the light of God’s word, then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth.  I am not saying we should consider all voices.  There are those which are, by nature, false.  Knowing what the Bible teaches regarding salvation, I am not going to consult a theologian who I know teaches salvation by faith.  There is no need.  I do not need to consult evolutionists any longer because their scientific world view is incorrect.  What being well-advised does mean is we consult many viewpoints until the truth is discovered.  To refuse only means we increase the pride which already resides in the heart.