A bear and a fool are sitting at a bar....

Mishlei- Chapter 17 Verse 12
פָּגוֹשׁ דֹּב שַׁכּוּל בְּאִישׁ; וְאַל-כְּסִיל, בְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ
12. May a bereaving bear encounter a person rather than a fool with his folly

here is my summary for this pasuk

A lowlife fool, like a bereaving bear, can get easily enraged and get in an aggressive state of mind and can do so from a wide variety of factors (ex: road rage, bar fights, insults at the presidential dinners). The difference however, which can make a fool more dangerous than a bear, is that while the threat that the bear poses you is transparent (the size of him, his claws) it is easy to underestimate the harm that a fool can cause you because it is never directly apparent. A fool can hurt you in many more ways than a bear can, and in ways which it will be much harder to predict (ex: talk behind your back, take revenge, take you to court etc...) Thus, one must be careful when dealing with people because 1) he is in danger of underestimating the threat that angry fools can pose 2) there are a wide variety of factors that can upset a fool 3) there are a wide variety of ways in which a fool can hurt you.

here is an alternative (more elaborate)summary written by my chavruta:

The bear bereft of its cubs is in a state of instinctual, thinking, animalistic rage; the same is true of the fool who feels threatened or provoked. The difference is the bear has a very narrow range of activity; therefore, it is relatively easy to anticipate what he might do, and to take the necessary precautions. A fool, on the other hand, has a wide variety of retaliatory actions at his disposal, and will do just about anything to get his revenge; thus, it is very difficult to take precautions against this. For this reason, a person should avoid provoking fools, and steer clear of fools who have already been provoked.

A bear bereft of its cubs is very dangerous, but the danger level is clear to any observer. A fool who has been provoked or threatened is even more dangerous than the bear, since he can bring about harm in a wide variety of ways. However, it is easy to underestimate the danger level of a fool, and it is also easy to feel that you have more control over the fool than you actually do. For these reasons in particular, a person should be very wary when dealing with an angry fool and strive to avoid him at all costs.

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