The point is clear. Seek counsel and advice because you are not as clever and wise as you think you are. The principle is so important variations of it appear in three other places in the book of Proverbs (11:14, 20:18, 24:6). Stubborn obstinate pride doesn’t succeed as often as a humble amenable heart.
The advent of the printing press in 1426 by Johannes Gutenberg began the fast and extensive sharing of knowledge that has multiplied greatly with the invention of the personal computer, the internet, and the world wide web. Many had believed at the beginning of the last century that things were going to get better for all mankind with so much sharing of information. People were seeking and getting all kinds of advice. Things did look like they were improving until WWI and WWII proved that with many advisers we can exceed at anything including vast devastating wars.
So now I can find all kinds of advice on my cell phone, my computer, my TV, my radio, and even from the lady cleaning my teeth yesterday. Much counsel can be obtained and most counsel obtained is not good and some are downright nasty. Sometimes I don’t discover which are nasty until I am awash in nasty. Where can I find wise counsel?
“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe… to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-21)
