Classic KJV - Proverbs 26:16

Whoever resists learning will also resist working. A know-it-all will avoid work whenever possible. On the other hand, those eager to learn and willing to be taught become the best workers.

Translation: wiser in his own eyes

The expression, “wiser in his own eyes” refers to extreme arrogance. This expression is used only once in Proverbs; though a very similar expression, “wise in his own eyes,” is used just four verses earlier in Proverbs 26:12. It seems that the tight repetition of these expressions serve as brackets, containing these four verses and highighting three characteristics:

1. A lazy person is ruled by vague fears and anxieties (Proverbs 26:13).
2. A lazy person sleeps haphazardly or way too much (Proverbs 26:14).
3. A lazy person is a slow picky eater (Proverbs 26:15).

Worst of all, a lazy person is a know-it-all! It’s a serious fault to be “wise in our own eyes,” but to be “wiser in our own eyes”—wiser than the diligent and proficient, is fatal. Sooner or later, self-satisfied vanity results in personal and financial disaster. Renowned Argentina preaacher, Ed Silvoso, compares pride to bad breath: Everybody notices but you. So, sluggards seem willing to learn, but they resist being taught. They will not seek counsel. They will not ask questions.

Classic Comments

Adam Clarke says this about the “seven men who can give a discreet answer,” in his Commentary (1825):

Seven, here means only perfection, abundance, or multitude. He is wiser in his own eyes than a multitude of the wisest men; “than seven men that sit and teach.” - Coverdale; i.e., than seven doctors of the law, or heads of the schools of the prophets, who always sat while they taught.

Charles Bridgess Commentary (1846) takes the text to describe someone who:

...pronounces himself a genius, prides himself upon his wisdom, and looks down with contempt those his more industrious companions—generally superior in attainment....He has found the road to learning without any inconvenient exertion.

Working Smarter

A sluggard’s favourite saying is “work smarter not harder.” But there’s a problem here: We must always work harder, before we can work smarter. Working harder will teach us how to work smarter through experience. Better yet, if we’re intent on working harder, we’ll seek the advice of those more experienced, because we want to be more productive. Those both eager to learn and willing to be taught become the best workers.

Exxon Mobil Example

Exxon Mobil is a world leader in the oil industry. Haste is dangerous, so safety is paramount. At Exxon’s multi-billion dollar oil sands project, all employees and contractors are issued a card with their personal identification, as a constant reminder to stop and think—FIRST. The card is task specific... “Before and during a task...” Thinking and learning from other’s experience is a sign of humility and teachability, eventually leading to profitability.

Arrogance and Self-Induced Poverty

Arrogance is on eof the greatest causes of self-induced poverty. Not all poverty comes from the same source; sometimes we become poor because of a calamity or natural disaster—something beyond our control. When we are faced with someone who thinks he knows it all, then the best school is not verbal, but the school of hard knocks. Painful experiences are not cheap, but they are usually effective teachers. A “fasting” from an easy life can awaken the love of life.

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

Jesus speaks of a moral sewer inside all human beings. It is filled with all kinds of filth (Mark 7:21-23).

One of the worst types of dirt is pride—prideful arrogance. To make matters worse, it doesn’t see itself as dirt but as superiority, a false virtue.

In sharp contrast to the lazy know-it-all, Jesus worked very hard. He was voluntarily crucified in the line of duty (John 10:18).