The truest mark of being born with great qualities, is being born without envy.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
If envy, like anger, did not burn itself in its own fire, and consume and destroy those persons it possesses before it can destroy those it wishes worst to, it would set the whole world on fire, and leave the most excellent persons the most miserable.
—Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1609–74) English Statesman, Historian
Let him not despise what he has received, nor ever envy others: a mendicant who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
—The Dhammapada Buddhist Anthology of Verses
Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
There is nothing more counterproductive than envy. Someone in the world will always be better than you. Of all the sins, envy is easily the worst, because you can’t even have any fun with it. It’s a total net loss.
—Charlie Munger (b.1924) American Investor, Philanthropist
Envy is ever joined with the comparing of a man’s self; and where there is no comparison, no envy.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Emulation looks out for merits, that she may exalt herself by a victory; envy spies out blemishes, that she may lower another by a defeat.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Base rivals, who true wit and merit hate, maliciously aspire to gain renown, by standing up, and pulling others down.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
The envious person grows lean with the fatness of their neighbor.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Pity is for the living, envy is for the dead.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
We are often vain of even the most criminal of our passions; but envy is so shameful a passion that we never dare to acknowledge it.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Envy is ignorance. Imitation is suicide.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
One reason why so many people are unhappy, not knowing why, is that they have burdened their minds with resentments. These evil thoughts pile right on top of happier and generous ones and smother them so that they never get expression. Resentments are a form of hate…. What a dearth of good will and co-operation there are among human beings and nations! What a world this would be if we all worked together, and as a popular diplomat recently expressed it-played together.
—George Matthew Adams (1878–1962) American Columnist, Journalist
Envy depreciates the genius of the great Homer.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Among true and real friends, all is common; and were ignorance and envy and superstition banished from the world, all mankind would be friend.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) English Poet, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist
Fools may our scorn, not envy raise, for envy is a kind of praise.
—John Gay (1685–1732) English Poet, Dramatist
Envy is blind, and she has no other quality than that of detracting from virtue
—Livy (Titus Livius) (59 BCE–17 CE) Roman Historian
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 lurks at the bottom of the human heart, like a viper in its hole.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
No metal can—no, not the hangman’s axe—bear half the keenness of thy sharp envy.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies.
—Gore Vidal (1925–48) American Novelist, Essayist, Journalist, Playwright
Let age, not envy, draw wrinkles on thy cheeks.
—Thomas Browne (1605–82) English Author, Physician
Men are so constituted that every one undertakes what he sees another successful in, whether he has aptitude for it or not.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Nothing sharpens sight like envy.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
How bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
When we envy another, we make their virtue our vice.
—Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux (1636–1711) French Poet, Satirist, Literary Critic
Few men have the natural strength to honor a friend’s success without envy.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
Man will do many things to get himself loved; he will do all things to get himself envied.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
The envious praise only that which they can surpass; that which surpasses them they censure.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
Cast out envy; you can have all that you want, and you need not envy any man what he has. Above all things, see to it that you do not hold malice or enmity toward any one; to do so cuts you off from the mind whose treasures you seek to make your own. Lay aside all narrow personal ambition and determine to seek the highest good.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author