Wisdom and Folly

Ecclesiastes 10

1Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 2A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. 3Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. 

It means to guard and protect your reputation at all costs. Verses 2 and 3 right hand means use your heart for wisdom. It does not mean left handers are no good. It just means use your stronger hand in decisions and not the off-hand. I think the more appropriate sentence is 'A wise man's heart is at his iron hand'. Half-hearted attempts at something are foolish and stupid and useless.

4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. 5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. 7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 9Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 10If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. 11Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. 12The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. 

I think this is about leadership and coup attempts and discontent. If you are lax and do not discipline your citizens, they will ask for things how ever stupid it may be. The reason is you allow it. You allow servants to rule and the leaders cringe from them. Evaluate the pros and cons of your actions so you will not fall into the trap you set. Sharpen your swords or your minds so you will be wise. You can achieve this by studying more. If you are wise, the snake bites will have no effect. You can observe a wise man by the way he talks and a fool while he stumbles and contradicts himself. Blind men cannot lead. If there is a coup attempt, you handle this by being fair but firm. Rule with the iron hand. If you hold on to power and conclude matters peacefully if possible, it means you are a worthy leader. Yielding means you are either corrupted or incompetent or both.

16Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 

It means the country is miserable if the one running the country is a prince instead of the king. The reason is the king is not capable. So the country is blessed if their leader knows what he is doing and his successors are learning from him and on the job training.

18By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 19A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

It means fine dining, trips and entertainment are okay as long as its from your blood, sweat and tears. Remember that 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you". That includes riches and everything. That is the fruit of your labors. To those jealous and curse you at the back, then pay no mind because you have a clear conscience on where you get your wealth. To jealous people, you should strive harder, study harder to get to where successful people are.

You can also apply this to anything like sports. You have to practice to sharpen your craft so that in the actual game, it would be easier. Do not let the building or your body or your mind decay. Participate in strenuous sports. I think tennis, squash, badminton, rowing and swimming are way up on the most strenuous sports. Take a look at TD21, he is like swimming in his effortless low post moves.