שִׂכְלוּת

So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?

And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.

As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.