“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” –Proverbs 29:11 (ESV)

The King James version reads “A fool uttereth all his mind; but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.”

Aside from the awkward and antiquated verbs ending in -eth, I think I like this version better. Can’t you just picture the fool talking and talking and talking until all eyes around him glaze over, and slowly every listener backs away. (Soon everyone is properly social distanced!) But the proverb reminds us that there is wisdom in keeping quiet, taking a deep breath, thinking before you speak, or reading what you have written one more time before pushing the send button. Not every thought needs to be verbalized, and I’m sure that every single one of us knows that from real.life.experience.

This is especially true for someone who leads. A leader does not call people nasty, or losers, or rude and terrible. A leader does not offer opinions as truth, nor does a leader speak arrogantly, interrupt in anger, or belittle others. A leader does not gossip or ramble on aimlessly. A leader does not speak of or believe in conspiracy theories. A leader speaks out forcefully against hatred and injustice…

Do we want a fool for a leader?

Please, can we make all this just go away and bring dignity back to the presidency?