Discipline brings knowledge and therefore is loved by the wise, whereas those who hate reproof are foolish (v1). The fool is wise in his own eyes, he thinks he has nothing to learn, but the mark of a wise man is that he listens to advice (v15). There is a challenge here about how open are we to learn, have we a teachable spirit?

There is a contrast between the impact of the righteous and of the wicked on others. The wicked seek to destroy whereas the righteous delight to deliver (v6). The wicked hurt with their rash words whereas the wise bring healing (v18). Are you someone who seeks to hurt and destroy, or someone who works to deliver and heal.

The contrast is not just on the impact on others, but the impact other shave on us. A fool reacts to insults and shows ho he feels whereas the wise person ignores an insult (v18). This is because the feelings of the righteous are not based primarily on the actions of others but on their relationship to God.

The idea of being in control applies also to our words (v23). Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and it must apply to showing restraint in what we say and what we don’t say. A fool has no such restraint.