Author: Sagesse Bezalel
“Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him.”
At first glance, this might sound a little harsh, perhaps even violent, but in its essence, the message is simple: some things in life, like a person’s ingrained foolishness, can’t be changed by force, no matter how much effort you put into it.
Breaking it down, the imagery of grinding grain in a mortar with a pestle is an ancient metaphor for effort. Grinding grain is a repetitive, strenuous process. The harder you push, the finer the grain becomes. But even if you apply the same technique to a fool, this proverb suggests that no matter how much effort you exert, their inherent foolishness will stay with them.
Creative foolishness is a form of pride, a resistance to transformation masquerading as confidence.
We’ve all been there, whether it’s trying to help someone in our lives who continues to make the same poor decisions or attempting to guide a team member who refuses to learn from their mistakes. The more you try, the more effort you put in, the more frustrated you become, but the results are always the same. The person keeps making the same choices, over and over again, and you’re left wondering why your energy is wasted.
This proverb teaches us an important lesson about recognizing our limits. You cannot force change onto someone who isn’t willing to change. While it’s easy to get caught up in trying to fix or “save” others, the truth is that transformation requires willingness. It requires self-awareness. It requires a shift in perspective that cannot be externally imposed, no matter how much time, energy, or care you pour into it.
Foolishness here doesn’t refer to one-off mistakes, it refers to a habitual lack of wisdom. It’s the person who refuses to listen, the individual who insists on repeating patterns that have only led to failure, and the one who rejects advice and wisdom simply because it doesn’t align with their worldview. This type of foolishness is not something that can be “ground out” by external pressure alone. Should we just give up on trying to help those around us? Not necessarily. The proverb doesn’t suggest that we abandon others who are lost in their ways, but it does suggest we need to approach them with a clear understanding of what is and isn’t within our control.
The lesson here is one of patience and acceptance. It’s about recognizing when you’ve done everything in your power to help someone and knowing when it’s time to let go. Sometimes, no matter how much we wish it were different, people will continue to act foolishly, because they haven’t yet recognized the need for change within themselves. You can’t force someone to see the truth until they’re ready to acknowledge it on their own. Besides, is it advisable to let go of your own sanity at the detriment of someone who is unwilling to be helped?
At the end of the day, change comes from within. As for you? Keep grinding, not on others’ foolishness, but on your own potential. Because your growth, just like theirs, is an inside job and not every creative battle is yours to fight. Growth must be chosen, not imposed!