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Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

“Fools fold their idle hands,
    leading them to ruin.”

And yet,

“Better to have one handful with quietness
    than two handfuls with hard work
    and chasing the wind.”

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Envy and loneliness

I also observed that people work hard and become good at what they do only out of mutual envy. This too is pointless, just wind chasing.

Fools fold their hands and eat their own flesh.
    But better is resting with one handful
        than working hard for two fistfuls and chasing after wind.

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