Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person; do not not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. - Proverbs 22:24

I have more questions than answers on this one. Maybe you all could share your thoughts in the comment section? 

Is this saying that being hot-tempered is contagious? That those who are easily angered rub off on others? If I'm friends with a bunch of hot-heads, am I more likely to become a hot--head? If a child has an easily-angered parent, are they more likely to become easily-angered? 

Or is he simply stating that hot-tempered people will tick us off and bring out the worst in us because they will pick fights with us and be easily offended by us? 

The reaons these questions matter to me is because hot-tempered people need love and friendship in order to grow, so where do we draw the line? Didn't Jesus hang out with hot-tempered people like Peter, who cut off the ear of the high priest when the detachment of soldiers came to arrest him? Didn't Jesus allow James and John to follow him, even though they wanted to call down God's wrath on the Samaritan village (Luke 9:54)?

What exactly is this verse warning us about?