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
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
Jealousy is all the fun you think they had.
—Erica Jong (b.1942) American Novelist, Feminist
To jealousy, nothing is more frightful than laughter.
—Francoise Sagan (1935–2004) French Novelist, Playwright, Short-Story Writer
After honor and state follow envy and hate.
—Dutch Proverb
Jealousy is like a polished glass held to the lips when life is in doubt; if there be breath it will catch the damp and show it.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
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
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
Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart
—Unknown
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
A show of envy is an insult to oneself.
—Yevgeny Yevtushenko (1933–2017) Russian Poet, Dissident
Jealousy is the most dreadfully involuntary of all sins.
—Iris Murdoch (1919–99) British Novelist, Playwright, Philosopher
Every other sin hath some pleasure annexed to it, or will admit of an excuse; envy alone wants both. Other sins last but for awhile; the gut may be satisfied, anger remits, hatred hath an end, envy never ceaseth.
—Robert Burton (1577–1640) English Scholar, Clergyman
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
Jealousy is love bed of burning snarl.
—George Meredith (1828–1909) British Novelist, Poet, Critic
Jealousy is nothing more than a fear of abandonment
—Indian Proverb
Envy eats nothing but its own heart.
—German Proverb
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
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
Envy is a kind of praise.
—John Gay (1685–1732) English Poet, Dramatist
Love is too rare to be lost on jealousy.
—Mexican Proverb
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
Kiss the hand of your enemy if you cannot chop it off: Envy has no rest.
—Arabic Proverb
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 an inner consciousness of one’s own inferiority. it is a mental cancer.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
Don’t hold grudges; it’s pointless. Jealousy too is a non-cathartic, negative emotion.
—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
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
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
All other passions condescend at times to accept the inexorable logic of facts; but jealousy looks facts straight in the face, and ignores them utterly, and says she knows a great deal better than they can tell her.
—Arthur Helps (1813–75) English Dramatist, Essayist
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
They that envy others are their inferiors.
—Common Proverb
He who is next heir to supreme power, is always suspected and hated by him who actually wields it.
—Tacitus (56–117) Roman Orator, Historian
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
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
The truest mark of being born with great qualities, is being born without envy.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Jealousy contains more of self-love than of love.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
The effectiveness of work increases according to a geometrical progression if there are no interruptions.
—Andre Maurois (1885–1967) French Novelist, Biographer
To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.
—Joan Didion (1934–2021) American Essayist, Novelist, Memoirist
As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.
—John Chrysostom (c.347–407 CE) Archbishop of Constantinople
Envy sees the sea but not the rocks.
—Russian Proverb
Jealousy is the fear or apprehension of superiority; envy our uneasiness under it.
—William Shenstone (1714–63) British Poet, Landscape Gardener
It is not love that is blind, but jealousy.
—Lawrence Durrell (1912–90) British Biographer, Poet, Playwright, Novelist
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
He that cherishes jealousy in his heart, his bones rot.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
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
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