How Often Do I Deserve to be Called a Fool for My Violent Reaction Towards Insults?

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I remembered how easily I get worked out or get into useless fights because somebody called me a name. Yes, all over being insulted or called a name. There are times I get called a fool because of my reaction. That is somebody called me an idiot or a faggot and I decide to either slap, punch, or even choke the person with my bare hands in retaliation. I was referred to Proverbs 12:16 where the King James Version (KJV) says, "A fool's wrath is presently known but a prudent man covereth shame." I wanted to protest the rendition of the New International Version (NIV) since I tend to dislike modern English translations of the Bible. However, it does mean the same thing when a fool's wrath is presently known but a prudent man covers his shame. What does it mean to cover his shame? That is to avoid doing anything that will cause shame. Such a thing is how to respond to insults.

The teaching to turn the other cheek is not about allowing one's self to get physically hurt. The Bible also uses slap in the figurative sense. Ever heard it when somebody says, "That was a slap on my face!" even when the face wasn't literally slapped? Being slapped in the face can also mean an insult. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:39-40 that if somebody hits me on one cheek - turn the other also. It's like being told that if today - I cross the street and somebody calls me a name. What? Do I want to cross the street, get into a fistfight, injure the person, get thrown in jail because somebody called me a name? Now, that would be very foolish indeed of me to go to jail all because somebody called me a name. Insults can't be avoided but I can choose not to react like a child to them.

The KJV translation says "covers his shame" meaning not to do anything that will cause dishonor. Just how dishonorable can it get to get charged with assault or even manslaughter, homicide, or even murder (which requires intent and malice premeditated) over being called a name? I remembered people were laughing at me when I punched someone for insulting me. How much more people were disturbed when I began to wring somebody's neck with the intent of murdering the person over an insult. Times come when I want to end somebody's life over an insult. If it's already bad enough to hit someone over name-calling then how much murder? I mean, did I even bother to think the shame and pain I'll cause to myself when I want to harm someone over something verbal?

It made me think about why the teacher got more mad at me when I punched my classmate in the middle of the class over an insult. She just said "SO WHAT?!" in anger after I tried to justify my wrong by saying he insulted me. Later, we both had a long-winded conversation at the disciplinarian's office because she said that what I did will make things worse. She even mentioned that if I killed him - it would mean jail time and wasted youth. I was too angry to even to listen to reason. Doesn't that make me a fool that I won't even listen to reason all because somebody's insult flared up my day rather than me turning the other cheek?

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