84.2 Foolishness

 84.2 Foolishness

Question:

            Who is the fool of all fools?

Answer:

Fool of all fools is to have the desire to do a thing

that is base and brings ill-repute.                                    (Couplet – 832)

There is no greater fool than a man who learns, realizes,

and preaches but never practices what he preaches.         (Couplet – 834)

 

பேதைமையுள் எல்லாம் பேதைமை காதன்மை

கையல்ல தன்கட் செயல்.                                         (குறள் – 832)

ஓதி உணர்ந்தும் பிறர் க்குரைத்தும் தானடங்காப்

பேதையின் பேதையார் இல்.                                    (குறள்- 834)

 

Explanation:

Some people chase unattainable goals and waste their entire lives. For example, if a young man falls in love with a girl who does not reciprocate his love and gets married to another man, then he should realize that his desire for that girl is one-sided and get over that and go on with his life. Instead, if he cherishes his desire for her and attempts to win her over and waste his life, it is an example of the worst kind of foolishness. Everyone knows that narcotics are addictive. If a young man thinks he will not be addicted and ventures to experiment with drugs, he will sooner or later become the victim of drug addiction and suffer fatal consequences. Such bravado by the youth is an example of the foolishness of all foolishness. I knew a man who had diabetes. Doctors told him to watch his diet and take proper medications to control his blood sugar. He ignored their advice and said that he had deep faith in God and that God would protect him. But he died prematurely due to complications from diabetes. One can think of several examples like these where people go after unattainable goals and spoil their lives. In Couplet 832, Valluvar condemns this type of pursuit as the foolishness of all foolishness.

In Couplet 832, Valluvar condemns people who are learned and advise others but do not practice what they preach as the worst kind of fools. We routinely hear about the sexual misconduct of pastors and priests. The immoral activities of the pastors and priests who give sermons on ethics and morality are examples of the worst kind of stupidity.