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People Generally Do Not Know What is Best for Them

A good name is better than precious ointment,
    and the day of death is better than the day of one’s birth.
Better to go to the house of mourning
    than to go to the house of feasting,
for death is the end of every person,
    and the living should take it to his heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
    for by sadness of countenance the heart is made good.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
    but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Better to listen to the rebuke of the wise
    than for a man to listen to the song of fools.
Like the sound of thorns under a pot,
    so also the laughter of fools.
This also is vanity!

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A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

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