Solomon was Wise Because He Learned from His Failures

Solomon saw at the end of his life that everything he chased after was "chasing after the wind", in other words it was to his credit that he realized at the end of his life looking back he could see how silly he was, this is wisdom.

I know many people who do not admit they needed to learn anything. They are as foolish at the end of their lives believing they had a great life without mistakes and sins.

A wise person looks back and sees how much they failed and what they learned from it. A foolish man looks back and convinces themself he did everything right and would do it all over again.

Ecclesiastes 1:17

"So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 2:11

"Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 2:17

"So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 2:26

"To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 4:4

"I saw that all labor and success spring from a man's envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 4:16

"There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 6:9

"Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

It is the wise person who can look back and admit their failures and glory in the lessons that God brought. Our failures cannot teach us if we cannot admit they were failures.

Seek the Lord and Those Who Obey Him

Proverbs 14:12
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

Proverbs 21:2
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart."

It is possible to do good deeds and still be in disobedience to God. If our deeds are done to elevate ourselves without regard to God's will, then we have had our own way, without the wisdom of God and could even do harm by the good deed.

 
When we live in obedience to God we are continually consulting Him. Those who are full of self often think everything that they concoct is right without regard to all the peripheral extenuating circumstances. A wise man plans the details as God directs their path.

 
All the times I tried to do things my own way without consulting God I had problems. Then when I could not fix the problems that arose I would consult God, having to return to the drawing board with God's guidance the problem was resolved, but sometimes with consequences I would not have had if I had consulted God first.
It is foolish for any human being to believe they know all the answers all by themselves without God or even without the input of other wise people.

 
Proverbs 12:15
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
It also matters who we listen to, if we listen to wise people we will become wiser, if we listen to foolish people we will regress and make far more mistakes and sins.
Proverbs 19:19-21 "…19 A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again. 20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. 21 Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.…"