Jealousy is always born with love, but does not always die with it.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Envy assails the noblest: the winds howl around the highest peaks.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Jealousy is not a barometer by which the depth of love can be read. It merely records the degree of the lover’s insecurity.
—Margaret Mead (1901–78) American Anthropologist, Social Psychologist
What frenzy dictates, jealousy believes.
—John Gay (1685–1732) English Poet, Dramatist
It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Never waste jealousy on a real man: it is the imaginary man that supplants us all in the long run.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Jealousy is the most dreadfully involuntary of all sins.
—Iris Murdoch (1919–99) British Novelist, Playwright, Philosopher
We are more jealous of frivolous accomplishments with brilliant success, than of the most estimable qualities without. Johnson envied Garrick whom he despised, and ridiculed Goldsmith, whom he loved.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
He that cherishes jealousy in his heart, his bones rot.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.
—Joan Didion (1934–2021) American Essayist, Novelist, Memoirist
Jealousy is nothing more than a fear of abandonment
—Indian Proverb
The “Green-eyed Monster” causes much woe, but the absence of this ugly serpent argues the presence of a corpse whose name is Eros.
—Minna Antrim (1861–1950) American Writer, Epigrammist
Plain women are always jealous of their husbands. Beautiful women never are. They are always so occupied with being jealous of other women’s husbands.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Envy is the most stupid of vices, for there is no single advantage to be gained from it.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self, an impossible claim that one should be at once Rose Bowl princess, medieval scholar, Saint Joan, Milly Theale, Temple Drake, Eleanor of Aquitaine, one
—Joan Didion (1934–2021) American Essayist, Novelist, Memoirist
Envy is a littleness of soul, which cannot see beyond a certain point, and if it does not occupy the whole space feels itself excluded.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Jealousy is never satisfied with anything short of an omniscience that would detect the subtlest fold of the heart.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
O, Jealousy, thou ugliest fiend of hell! thy deadly venom preys on my vitals, turns the healthful hue of my fresh cheek to haggard sallowness, and drinks my spirit up.
—Hannah More
The effectiveness of work increases according to a geometrical progression if there are no interruptions.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
Whatever spiteful fools may say, Each jealous ranting yelper, No woman ever went astray, Without a man to help her
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Jealous people poison their own banquet and then eat it
—Indian Proverb
Envy comes from people’s ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts.
—Jean Vanier (1928–2019) French-Canadian Philosopher, Theologian, Humanitarian
Jealousy is the great exaggerator.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Yet he was jealous, though he did not show it, For jealousy dislikes the world to know it
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
Envy does not enter empty houses.
—Danish Proverb
In jealousy there is more of self-love, than of, love to another.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
They that envy others are their inferiors.
—Common Proverb
‘Tis a monster begot upon itself, born on itself.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Always remember, Peggy, it’s matrimonial suicide to be jealous when you have a really good reason.
—Clare Boothe Luce (1903–87) American Playwright, Diplomat, Journalist, Diplomat, Elected Rep
It is with jealousy as with the gout; when such distempers are in the blood there is never any security against their breaking out, and that often on the slightest occasions, and when least suspected.
—Henry Fielding (1707–54) English Novelist, Dramatist
Jealousy sees things always with magnifying glasses which make little things large, of dwarfs giants, of suspicions truths.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616) Spanish Novelist
The jealous are possessed by a mad devil and a dull spirit at the same time.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
The ear of jealousy heareth all things.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Jealousy is all the fun you think they had.
—Erica Jong (b.1942) American Novelist, Feminist
Jealousy in romance is like salt in food. A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure and, under certain circumstances, can be life-threatening.
—Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American Poet
Envy among other ingredients has a mixture of the love of justice in it. We are more angry at undeserved than at deserved good-fortune.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Envy sees the sea but not the rocks.
—Russian Proverb
The jealous bring down the curse they fear upon their own heads.
—Dorothy Dix (1861–1951) American Journalist, Columnist
Compete, don’t envy.
—Moroccan Proverb
Potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of craftsman; and the poor have a grudge against the poor, and the poet against the poet.
—Hesiod (f.700 BCE) Greek Poet
The heaven of the envied is hell for the envious.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
If envy were a fever, all the world would be ill.
—Danish Proverb
Pity is for the living, envy is for the dead.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
My wife’s jealousy is getting ridiculous. The other day she looked at my calendar and wanted to know who May was.
—Rodney Dangerfield (1921–2004) American Comedian, TV Personality, Actor
I had rather be a toad, and live upon the vapor of a dungeon than keep a corner in the thing I love for others uses.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The enemy’s own punishment is his envy.
—Indian Proverb
O! beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
There is a sort of jealousy which needs very little fire; it is hardly a passion, but a blight bred in the cloudy, damp despondency of uneasy egoism.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist