Answer
Often, a biblical proverb is arranged in a couplet. Simply taking one half of the verse or couplet does not give enough context. The second half of the couplet will complete the point of the proverb. The line A fool vents all his feelings is only half of Proverbs 29:11. The full proverb is as follows:
“A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back” (NKJV).
So, this proverb sets up a contrast between the fool and the wise man. The fool vents his feelings while the wise man doesn’t. This gives some clarity.
It is also helpful to look at the proverb in a variety of translations:
ESV: “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”
NIV: “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”
NASB: “A fool always loses his temper, But a wise person holds it back.”
Here, the NIV and NASB translate the verse in such a way that anger is involved. The ESV does use the word vent (as does the NKJV), but the context is not explicitly about anger.NIV: “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”
NASB: “A fool always loses his temper, But a wise person holds it back.”
We could look at the original language and try to determine if the words used are normally associated with anger, but the fact that accurate and reliable translations go different directions probably means that the words are ambiguous. Therefore, it is probably better to think of a general situation in which the various wordings make sense.
In Proverbs 29:11, the general sense is that a foolish person will spout out everything in his heart or that comes to mind. If feelings of anger are in view, the foolish person will lose his temper. By contrast, the wise person will keep his feelings—and his temper—in check.
This seems to make sense, and we can think of plenty of applications for today’s world. Social media platforms are notorious for allowing people to post emotionally charged messages without fully thinking them through. Some people post anything and everything they happen to be feeling at the moment, and the results are rarely good. Such “venting” posts come from fools, according to Proverbs 29:11. Most sane people would rather deal with those who keep their emotions and anger in check and who carefully consider what they say before saying it. “Flying off the handle” or “going off half-cocked” is the sport of fools.
It is also important to understand the nature of proverbs. Proverbs are wise sayings that are not meant to be taken in an absolute sense in every situation. These are general rules, but there may be exceptions.
There may be a time to give vent to your feelings or take aggressive action in anger. Even Jesus reacted in anger when He cleared the temple of the money changers (Matthew 21:12–17, Mark 11:15–19, and Luke 19:45–48, John 2:13–16). However, Jesus’ everyday response to adversity and even injustice was not anger. He carefully weighed His words and often said things to His disciples that He did not share with the crowds (see Mark 4:33–34).
The book of Proverbs is filled with sayings contrasting the foolish and the wise. Often, the difference between foolishness and wisdom is the words that each one says. In general, the fool does not control his tongue. In general, the wise man does (see also Proverbs 10:19; 13:3; 15:4, 28; 21:23).
The book of James, sometimes called the Proverbs of the New Testament, gives a similar warning: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19, ESV).
A practical application of Proverbs 29:11 would be to think, pray, or count to ten (or maybe 100) before you speak in an emotionally charged situation. Even if, ultimately, you do feel it is appropriate to respond in righteous anger, you still need to control that anger. If you regularly lose your temper or just vent your feelings and frustrations, others will not see you as a wise person with something important to say; they will see you as a fool who is out of control. As a result, your words, heartfelt though they may be, will have little impact. That may lead you to feel more anger and frustration. That could, in turn, lead to further venting and loss of temper, etc. And a downward spiral ensues.
If you wait and think before you speak, you can usually say what needs to be said later. However, if you speak before you think, remember that you can never un-say words that should not have been spoken in the first place.