2. You learn more at a funeral than at a feast—After all, that’s where we’ll end up. We might discoversomething from it.
3. Crying is better than laughing.It blotches the face but it scours the heart.
4. Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving.Fools waste their lives in fun and games.
21-22. Don’t eavesdrop on the conversation of others.What if the gossip’s about you and you’d rather not hear it?You’ve done that a few times, haven’t you—said thingsBehind someone’s back you wouldn’t say to his face?
23-25. I tested everything in my search for wisdom. I set out to be wise, but it was beyond me, far beyond me, and deep—oh so deep! Does anyone ever find it? I concentrated with all my might, studying and exploring and seeking wisdom—the meaning of life. I also wanted to identify evil and stupidity, foolishness and craziness.
26-29. One discovery: A woman can be a bitter pill to swallow, full of seductive scheming and grasping. The lucky escape her; the undiscerning get caught. At least this is my experience—what I, the Quester, have pieced together as I’ve tried to make sense of life. But the wisdom I’ve looked for I haven’t found. I didn’t find one man or woman in a thousand worth my while. Yet I did spot one ray of light in this murk: God made men and women true and upright; we’re the ones who’ve made a mess of things.