Opening up Ecclesiastes today, the author; King Solomon made it his mission to learn everything there was to learn, but in this task, his approach was without God.  So Solomon is trying to fill his mind with all the philosophers and knowledge of the day, thinking that he will find happiness in increasing his intellectual prowess, and here is what he tells us:

Ecc 1:17  And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

When he tells us it is striving after the wind, he means that it is an empty pursuit.  Man cannot grab the wind, just as man cannot find happiness in knowing all there is to know about the different  ancienct philosophies as he Solomon tells us in the next verse: 

Ecc 1:18  For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

William McDonald makes a great comparison here to college campuses.  Higher learning is supposed to be the place where “we find ourselves” through various studies of different subjects, but as Solomon points out, he who increases knowledge, increases sorrow.  True enough, college campuses are never not protesting about something, there seems to be an endless amount of rage associated with college campuses with their constant protests.  

This all points to the reality that true contentment is only found in living a live that pleases God, understanding that God runs the show, and not us!