A good reputation is better than expensive perfume; and the day you die is better than the day you are born.

It is better to go to a home where there is mourning than to one where there is a party, because the living should always remind themselves that death is waiting for us all.

Sorrow is better than laughter; it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding.

Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.

It is better to have wise people reprimand you than to have stupid people sing your praises.

When a fool laughs, it is like thorns crackling in a fire. It doesn’t mean a thing.

When a wise man cheats someone, he is acting like a fool. If you take a bribe, you ruin your character.

The end of something is better than its beginning.

Patience is better than pride.

Keep your temper under control; it is foolish to harbor a grudge.

Never ask, "Oh, why were things so much better in the old days?" It’s not an intelligent question.

Everyone who lives ought to be wise; it is as good as receiving an inheritance and will give you as much security as money can. Wisdom keeps you safe – this is the advantage of knowledge.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-12

Those who do not let sorrow do its work, those who deny it, trivialize it, or try to explain it away, remain shallow and indifferent. They never understand themselves or others very well. In fact, before God can use us very much, we must first learn to mourn.

We can learn more from sorrow than from laughter.

Our Daily Bread – May 27, 2003