Mr. T said “I PITY THE FOOL”

Back in the 1980s, Mr. T had a famous catchphrase. He said, “I pity the fool.” This was his way of warning people of the dangers of not using common sense before doing something. This man had gold chains galore dangling from his neck. On top of all that, he had a mohawk that made one sit up and take notice when he would talk. That phrase could make a comeback with the actions some people are taking these days. It can easily be said, “I pity the fool,” when we see people arguing online instead of going offline to talk about their disagreements. How about saying, “I pity the fool,” to the person who is planning to live off of their unemployment as long as they possibly can. Or, “I pity the fool,” who is letting fear hold them back from doing the – possibly risky – right thing. 

Fools are people who don’t have common sense or don’t use it. Without common sense, we are prone to do things that have people scratching their heads. When a child is foolish, their parents might not want to take credit for them being their child. The fool’s rationale is hard to explain—or maybe I should say painful to try to explain, because it just doesn’t make sense. In the fool’s defense, I am sure they have an explanation that, to them, sounds convincing. However, what the fool doesn’t realize is that their explanations sound ridiculous to those who possess common sense. Common sense is a basic understanding of how decisions work. For example, common sense concludes: “If I work hard, I can get ahead.” Fools think they don’t have to work and can still get the same privileges and benefits as those who do. The good news is that anyone can have common sense as long as they have a conscience. The bad news is that foolishness can be contagious. Common sense tells you the company you keep will show you the future you are headed towards. Fools don’t consider their environment, nor are they willing to take personal responsibility for what they do. Do you have pity for the fool?

Wisdom should be our ultimate goal. But here is the thing: you’ll have to have common sense before you can be in the neighborhood of wisdom. Wisdom is more precious than money, or silver, or gold according to the Bible. And that should make sense if you have common sense. Wisdom is the ability to create from nothing, see the truth in ambiguity, and multiply whatever is in its hands. The value of wisdom is a magnet that will eventually attract and extract value from its surroundings. Money and riches in the hands of a fool will pass through those hands quickly, like a child holding sand. A wise person is a treasure that knows how to find and what to do with treasure, so that generations after that person are blessed. 

In conclusion, foolishness comes with a lack of awareness about how the decisions one makes creates one’s present and future. Common sense is the basic awareness that our decisions, good or bad, affect us today and tomorrow. Wisdom comes when we graduate to a place where we know what decisions to make in order to create the best future, no matter what yesterday or today looks like.