Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
On the surface, taken literally, these appear as contradictory commands. But what we must understand is that for many if not most of the proverbs there are two principles which describe the sense in which they are written which resolves such paradoxes.
Principle #1: Many of the apparent commands are to be taken not as explicit commands but rather as principles - IF A THEN B.
Principle #2: Most of the proverbs are GENERAL principles as opposed to things which are true in every particular case. Thus most should be understood to be preceeded with the expression "Generally speaking".
So for example in the cases above we would say "Generally speaking if you answer a fool according to his folly then you will be like him, but on the other hand you will prevent him from being wise in his own eyes."
Thus you are presented with a choice in answering a fool. Proverbs considers the pros and cons but leaves it up to you to decide which is best for your particular circumstances.
I am going to choose Proverbs 26:4 from this point on, so this is the last you will hear from me, no matter how much bait you throw out
Honorable people don’t make accusations they are not ready to substantiate.