Envy quotes
878 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
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Browse quotes that often appear alongside envy — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
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"Jealousy is in some measure just and reasonable, since it merely aims at keeping something that belongs to us or we think belongsto us, whereas envy is a frenzy that cannot bear anything that belongs to others."
"Our envy always outlives the felicity of its object."
"Envy not greatness: for thou mak'st thereby Thyself the worse, and so the distance greater."
"People used to envy me my inspiration. I hate inspiration. It takes you over completely. I could never wait until it passed and I got rid of it."
"The higher you ascend, the smaller you appear to the eye of envy. But most of all they hate those who fly."
"Gloucestershire police must be the envy of the human rights-abusing cop world. From Turkey to Indonesia they will say, 'Kidnapping peace protestors! How did they get away with that one?'"
"Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them."
"Ill-humor is nothing more than an inward feeling of our own want of merit, a dissatisfaction with ourselves which is always united with an envy that foolish vanity excites."
"Men are so constituted that every one undertakes what he sees another successful in, whether he has aptitude for it or not."
"If poisonous minerals, and if that tree, Whose fruit threw death on else immortal us, If lecherous goats, if serpents envious Cannot be damned; alas; why should I be?"
"Elisabeth, again, while she praises her, is so far from hiding the Divine glory, that she ascribes everything to God. And yet, though she acknowledges the superiority of Mary to herself and to others, she does not envy her the higher distinction, but modestly declares that she had obtained more than she deserved."
"The envious will die, but envy never. [Fr., Les envieux mourront, mais non jamais l'envie.]"
"There are as many mediocrities exalted through pity as masters decried through envy."
"Emulation admires and strives to imitate great actions; envy is only moved to malice."
"Jealousy dislikes the world to know it."
"I don't envy men and I certainly wouldn't like to become one now."
"To venture upon an undertaking of any kind, even the most insignificant, is to sacrifice to envy."
"Envy makes people lonely, and brings them great suffering. It is horrible stuff to have in our flesh, and it is a sin we need to take deadly seriously."
"I don't envy or much respect people who are completely politicised."
"Loyal? As loyal as anyone who plays second fiddle ever is."
