Ecclesiastes 10: The Field Guide To Fools

As a wise man, Solomon apparently found himself perturbed by fools.  In Ecclesiastes, he has much advice to give on how to identify, and thus avoid, fools.

At several points in chapter 10, Solomon discusses the negative impact of folly.  Verse 1 begins with the observation that even a little foolishness can mar wisdom: "Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a foul odor; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor."

According to Solomon, here are some identifying marks of a fool:

• They go left while the wise incline to the right (vs. 2).
• They lack sense, even when walking on a road (vs. 3).
• They are consumed by the words they speak (vs. 12).
• Their talk goes on to madness (vs. 13).
• They talk on and on (vs. 14).
• They are worn out by their toil, not even knowing basic information (vs. 15).

In spite of their obvious shortcomings, Solomon rues the fact that he has sometimes witnessed fools exalted to positions of authority while men of more noble character have been treated as slaves (vs. 5-7).  He considers this to be "an evil under the sun."

I believe Solomon's guidance can have two primary benefits in our lives today.  First, we can examine those around us to see who might be guilty of being a fool and who may be credited with being wise.  This insight can be helpful in choosing friends, deciding who to listen to, and making up our minds when it comes to election time.  Second, Solomon's "field guide to fools" allows us to examine our own hearts and investigate our own actions to ensure that we are not living the life of a fool.  If we find that we are, we can take his counsel and make adjustments to pursue wisdom instead of folly!