Job 42:1-3 Then Job answered the LORD and said: (2) “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (3) ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
There are not many (in fact, I cannot think of any) scriptures that speak of someone laughing at themselves for doing something foolish. There are lots of verses that record someone confessing their sin, admitting they were wrong, and being humble about it all. That is what we see in Job as cited above.
Sometimes we don’t sin as such, but we make mistakes. We do something dumb. And it is in such cases that we reveal whether we are a safe person or an arrogant toxic person. How? Well, can we laugh at ourselves or not? When others point out our goof, do we laugh with them about it? Or do we get angry and lash out?
Wicked people, like the RASN’s we talk about here, will not laugh at themselves. Oh, they will mockingly laugh at others, but when they mess up, you are not going to see them laugh about it. They aren’t humble. They refuse to admit fault or wrong. Their fear of shame dominates them and makes them what they are.
This is a very telling thing then – can a person laugh at themselves and admit that they were stupid (like we all have been sometimes)? If they can, you are probably dealing with a safe person. If they refuse to do so, watch out. That is a great big flashing red warning light.
How can anyone who will not laugh at themselves when they do something foolish….how can a person like that ever confess their sin? How can they ever apologize or ask for forgiveness? They can’t. And they won’t.