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 love bed of burning snarl.
—George Meredith (1828–1909) British Novelist, Poet, Critic
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
Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
After honor and state follow envy and hate.
—Dutch Proverb
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 (b.1934) American Essayist, Novelist, Memoirist
Jealousy is nothing more than a fear of abandonment
—Indian Proverb
A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.
—Robert A. Heinlein (1907–88) American Science Fiction Writer
Yet is there one more cursed than they all, that canker-worm, that monster, jealousy, which eats the heart and feeds upon the gall, turning all love’s delight to misery, through fear of losing his felicity.
—Edmund Spenser (1552–99) English Poet
It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Poet
‘Tis a monster begot upon itself, born on itself.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Of all the passions, jealousy is that which exacts the hardest service, and pays the bitterest wages. Its service is, to watch the success of our enemy; its wages to be sure of it.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Jealousy feeds upon suspicion, and it turns into fury or it ends as soon as we pass from suspicion to certainty
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
If envy were a fever, all the world would be ill.
—Danish Proverb
Envy eats nothing but its own heart.
—German Proverb
Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Jealousy and love are sisters.
—Russian Proverb
The fault-finder—it is his nature’s plague to spy into abuses; and oft his jealousy shapes faults that are not.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart
—Unknown
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 indeed a poor medium to secure love, but it is a secure medium to destroy one’s self-respect. For jealous people, like dope-fiends, stoop to the lowest level and in the end inspire only disgust and loathing.
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940) Lithuanian-American Anarchist, Feminist
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
Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Kiss the hand of your enemy if you cannot chop it off: Envy has no rest.
—Arabic Proverb
O jealousy! thou magnifier of trifles.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.
—Marie Curie (1867–1934) Polish-born French Physicist, Chemist
Jealousy is the fear or apprehension of superiority; envy our uneasiness under it.
—William Shenstone (1714–63) British Poet, Landscape Gardener
Envy is a kind of praise.
—John Gay (1685–1732) English Poet, Dramatist
He that cherishes jealousy in his heart, his bones rot.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
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
Calamities are of two kinds: misfortune to ourselves, and good fortune to others.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.
—William Penn (1644–1718) American Entrepreneur, Political leader, Philosopher
The heaven of the envied is hell for the envious.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
A show of envy is an insult to oneself.
—Yevgeny Yevtushenko (1933–2017) Russian Poet, Dissident
What frenzy dictates, jealousy believes.
—John Gay (1685–1732) English Poet, Dramatist
To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.
—Joan Didion (b.1934) American Essayist, Novelist, Memoirist
Jealousy lives upon doubts.—It becomes madness or ceases entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretense of keeping it alive.
—Havelock Ellis (1859–1939) British Sexologist, Physician, Social Reformer
Don’t hold grudges; it’s pointless. Jealousy too is a non-cathartic, negative emotion.
—Indian Proverb
Jealousy is the sister of love, as the devil is the brother of angels.
—Stanislas de Boufflers (1738–1815) French Political leader, Writer
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
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
Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English 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
Trifles light as air
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.
—Baltasar Gracian (1601–58) Spanish Scholar, Prose Writer
Envy is a waste of time.
—Unknown
Jealousy is always born with love, but does not always die with it.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
The jealous bring down the curse they fear upon their own heads.
—Dorothy Dix (1861–1951) American Journalist, Columnist
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