At best, in this system of things, life is very uncertain. Time and circumstance befall all, adding to the uncertainty. For this reason, Solomon raised these questions: “Because there exist many things that are causing much vanity, what advantage does a man have?

Eccl. 6:11,

In view of the fact that death ends all of a person’s striving and struggling, what real advantage is there in what material possessions or prominence a man may acquire? Who really can say just which worldly goal​—riches, prominence, power—​is worth striving for? How often people think that something is desirable and, then, after obtaining it, are disappointed, perhaps even bitter.