“All is vanity and a chasing after wind,” proclaims the Book of Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth, in Hebrew). The notoriously pessimistic biblical book pairs the metaphor of the wind (ruah) with the concept of “vanity” (hebel, which literally means “vapor”) six times (e.g., Ecclesiastes 1:14; Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:26) to underscore the folly, futility, and transitory nature of all human toils for understanding the world and finding meaning and happiness. To be chasing after wind is therefore a synonym for any futile endeavor, a chasing of elusive goals. Though rooted in and disseminated by the Bible, the phrase might have its […]
