Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes

by Douglas Wilson

When a man works hard—and does well—his neighbor carps at him. “It is all very well for you to talk—you have it easy!” Of course he has it easy, because he has worked hard and is now enjoying the fruit of his labor. His neighbor sees it as unfair and vexes himself over the problem considerably. Unscrupulous demagogues then arise and promise to make the rich pay their “fair share.” This is a complex and long-standing ritual in which the poor are fleeced in the name of fleecing the rich. The poor allow it to happen because they are blinded by their envy. Any man seeking control of the engines of the state, the better to accomplish his plundering, always promises to make the great businesses pay taxes—and the envious man cheers. But of course, no business ever paid a tax without passing it on to the consumer, and so the envious man finds himself paying for the pillage he ardently supports. But don’t feel sorry for him; he is an envious fool and deserves everything he gets, both good and hard. A wise man hates all forms of envy. The answer given by Solomon is that the gift of God bestows satisfaction in your own toil.