Ecclesiastes 4
v.4
And I saw that all labor and achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
v.5-6
The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. 6Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.
To ignore the drive for achievement and become a dropout is foolish self-destructiveness. But the drive must be harnessed to what is compatible with inner peace.
v.7-8
Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: 8There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless—a miserable business!