Getting a Grip: The Heart of Anger Handbook for Teens

The 25 Characteristics of a Fool comes directly from this book. It is a fantastic book for teen on dealing with anger. Click on the picture if you wish to purchase this book.

How many of these characteristics are true of you? Write down which of these characteristics you would fall under. Write down the characteristics that your friends or family members would say you fall under.

25 Characteristics of a Fool (p.16)

• He despises wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7)
  
• He hates knowledge (Proverbs 1:22)
  
• He grieves his mother (Proverbs 10:1)
  
• He enjoys devising mischief (Proverbs 10:23)
  
• He is quick to anger (Proverbs 12:16)
  
• He is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15)
  
• He hates to depart from evil (Proverbs 13:19)
  
• He is deceitful (Proverbs 14:8)
  
• He is arrogant and careless (Proverbs 14:16)
  
• He rejects his father’s instruction (Proverbs 15:5)
  
• He despises his mother (Proverbs 15:20)
  
• He does not respond well to discipline (Proverbs 17:10)
  
• He does not understand wisdom (Proverbs 17:16)
  
• He has a worldly (carnal) focus (value system) (Proverbs 17:24)
  
• He grieves his father (Proverbs 17:25)
  
• He hurts his mother (Proverbs 17:25)
  
• He does not consider discussing any viewpoint but his own (Proverbs 18:2)
  
• He provokes others to strife and anger by the things he says (Proverbs 18:6)
  
• He has a smart mouth that usually gets him into trouble (Proverbs 18:7)
  
• He is quarrelsome (contentious) (Proverbs 20:3)
  
• He is a spendthrift (Proverbs 21:20)
  
• He repeats his folly (foolishness) (Proverbs 26:11)
  
• He trusts in his own heart (Proverbs 28:26)
  
• He cannot resolve conflicts (Proverbs 29:9)
  
• He gives full vent to his anger (Proverbs 29:11)

How many of the ones you wrote down have to deal with anger? Even the characteristic “He trusts in his own heart” causes anger. The problem with this point is that your heart is the source of truth instead of being the source of deceit as the Bible says. So if you follow your heart into sin, you will not want to be corrected. If someone corrects you, you will obviously be angry with them.

Teens, be foolish no more. Resist the temptation to become angry. Pray to God for help. His grace is sufficient for you.