Can someone please explain this verse?

1:18 wisdom … much grief. The expected outcome of wisdom is success. Success, in turn, should bring happiness. But Solomon concluded that there were no guarantees. This grieves the one who places his hope in human achievement alone.

lol. As if this statement was meant to stand alone without context. Eccl. was written by a guy, most people think, who had lived a life of indulgence being seen as a world-wide celebrity because of his wisdom and had come to a point of reflection in his life. The statement merely describes the truth. The truth is the more you understand, the more you will be unhappy, and the more you know, the more grief you will have. It makes no value statement and proposes no tenant. Proverbs tells us many times that wisdom is a worthy goal, and Christians are exhorted to know their faith inside and out, or have knowledge of it. Often, we humans learn the hard way giving this statement a double sense of truth. Eccl. is the atheists' book is it not? The author says time and again, there is nothing better than to enjoy the fruits of one's own labors and be content. I think if I didn't believe in God and took this advice I might be happy. Why do I ask these questions anyway?

Solomon apparently put knowledge in a negative light when saying: “For in the abundance of wisdom there is an abundance of vexation, so that he that increases knowledge increases pain.” (Ec 1:18) This would appear contrary to the general view of knowledge one finds in the Bible. However, Solomon here stresses again the vanity of human endeavors in all matters other than the carrying out of God’s commands. (Ec 1:13, 14) Thus, a man may gain knowledge and wisdom in many fields, or he may explore deeply some specialized field, and such knowledge and wisdom may be proper in themselves, though not directly related to God’s declared purpose. Yet, with such increased knowledge and wisdom the man may well become more keenly aware of how limited his opportunities are to use his knowledge and wisdom because of his short life span and because of the problems and bad conditions that confront and oppose him in imperfect human society. This is vexing, producing a painful sense of frustration. (Compare Ro 8:20-22; Ec 12:13, 14)

That verse says, "For with much wisdom comes much sorror; the more knowledge, the more grief." No, it doesn't mean that studying makes you sad. It's just like... an example is, if I gain too much knowledge from school, science history and stuff, and when I go to church, I will start questioning the Bible. I read in one of the verses from the Bible, I forgot it, it says the more you grow older the more you start questioning God and the Word. You know the chapter where the disciples refuse to let the children to see Jesus, Jesus said to let them in for they shall see the kingdom of God. Children were too young to understand life. They, unlike older people, followed Jesus and love Him. They did not question Him, they just... let Him. They did not wait to hear the rumor or gossip, they just let Him in. Older people don't just do that. They want to question every aspect of his life. Like when they crucified Jesus, they asked, If you're the Son of God, climb down-" and stuff. They want to see it before they believe it. Children are different, they don't need to see it to believe it, because they know it exist, they know He exist. The more knowledge you gain, the more you question things and your mind is full of what ifs and ifs and more IFS! Ecclesiastes 1: 12- 18 just gave the message that WISDOM IS MEANINGLESS. What's the use of wisdom if you're not going to apply it. I'm sorry if I went off topic or this doesn't answer your question. It's just that i know the answer but it's hard to explain it.

Ecclesiastes can be pretty much taken that without God, then everything is pointless. Without God there is no point in getting wisdom, but at the end the writer realizes that God is what gives the world meaning. Proverbs talks a lot about the benefits of Godly wisdom.

“For in the abundance of wisdom there is an abundance of vexation, so that he that increases knowledge increases pain.” (Ec 1:18)

This would appear contrary to the general view of knowledge one finds in the Bible. Solomon here stresses again the vanity of human endeavors in all matters other than the carrying out of God’s commands.

Thus, a man may gain knowledge and wisdom in many fields, or he may explore deeply some specialized field, and such knowledge and wisdom may be proper in themselves, though not directly related to God’s declared purpose.

with such increased knowledge and wisdom the man may well become more keenly aware of how limited his opportunities are to use his knowledge and wisdom because of his short life span and because of the problems and bad conditions that confront and oppose him in imperfect human society.

This is vexing, producing a painful sense of frustration.

The more a person knows, the more responsibility he has. Take flying a commercial airline plane, for instance. How many people can do that? And the responsibility for the passengers, and others, is immense.

How about a doctor? He has much learning and as time goes by, learns more, and has more experience. But his patients depend on him, for their care and welfare.

The poor caveman only had to supply food for his family. Go out, hunt and kill and bring home the food. No worries, except for keeping the family safe from predators. But as time went by, weapons were made and men learned, and they killed more easily. And so, knowledge brought them more pain and worries.

And throughout time, as man became more knowledgeable, he gained more problems, more worries. Such as the horrible atom bomb. Or bacterial warfare.

Knowledge is good up to a point, but with it comes more worries, and responsibility.

The more you know about the world the more disheartening it can be.

As an example, When I was younger and had less wisdom, less knowledge, I did not know about torture, jihad, black toxic mold, the knock-out game, abortion, shaken baby syndrome, people who lure kids with candy, abusive relationship, or the hundreds of other things I will never do but still now know about.

It causes me grief to know the dark side of human behavior. It makes you want to turn away. So...

Knowledge is not always of sunshine, rainbows and unicorns; you cannot know the good without knowing the ugly.

This verse means that those who have a lot of wisdom and knowledge attained it through many painful trials and errors.

....The entire book of Ecclesiastes, with the exception of Ch. 8, displays the portrait of a life that has no purpose, no intent on pursuing the will of the Almighty.