Seeing the latest lotto winners broadcast their good fortune across the TV leaves us all feeling a tad envious. That’s human nature.
Whilst they’re off choosing a new sports car, you’re putting off taking yours to the garage for the umpteenth time. And as they're booking a luxury getaway, you're wrestling deck chairs alongside the kid’s blow-up paddling pool. Life is just so unfair!
In that moment, with the green-eyed monster hovering over your shoulders, it’s easy to forget how good life really is. Not billionaire Ford Mustang owner good. But the kind that leaves your heart warm and your hands-free to pour your own Manhattan cocktail.
These envy quotes will help you put things into perspective. To see that being envious won’t give you the things you crave. And to appreciate the wonderful life you already have.
Is Envying Other People Really That Bad?
If you were granted three wishes, what would they be? A nicer house, like Mark across the road? A better-paid job, like Louise who just got promoted? A more fuel-efficient car like your cousin Danny? (Let’s face it; we could all do with that one right now!)
All too often, we base our wanted list on what other people have, on the things we are envious of. Huge advertising companies pray on this, getting us to buy into their products and the life it apparently brings.
Our perspective of success becomes warped as if seen through those distorted mirrors at the fairground. And sadly, we fail to see how rich we already are.
The desire for what others have can become all-consuming, especially when it’s someone close such as a colleague or friend. And whilst we paint on the ‘Oh I’m so pleased for you’ face, the ripples of envy begin to surface. We see it as a failure on our part or an injustice that robbed us unfairly. And feel attacked or punished for not being good enough.
Comparing ourselves, our wins and our fails, to other people will always leave a sour taste in our mouths. It tears friendships apart, causes cracks in relationships and leaves us feeling bitter over things that don’t really matter.
Be happy for your family, for your colleagues and for complete strangers. And acknowledge that their successes have no bearing on your life. Stop worrying about how much better they’re doing, how much richer or happier they seem.
And instead, spend your time focusing on your own life and the things that bring you happiness, starting with these 53 envy quotes.
53 Envy Quotes To Stop Worrying About Other People
- “Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self-worth. Each of us has something to give that no one else has.” – Unknown
- “A lot of people get so hung up on what they can’t have that they don’t think for a second about whether they really want it.” – Lionel Shriver
- “The spirit of envy can destroy; it can never build.” – Margaret Thatcher
- “People only rain on your parade because they’re jealous of your sun and tired of their shade.” – Unknown
- “Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.” – William Arthur Ward
- “To live without comparison is to remove a tremendous burden.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
- “‘Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy,' he thought. ‘For the price of admission, you get a splitting headache, a nearly irresistible urge to commit murder, and an inferiority complex. Yippee.'” – J.R. Ward
- “Envy is the coward side of Hate, and all her ways are bleak and desolate.” – Henry Abbey
- “Never trust anyone who wants what you've got. Friend or no, envy is an overwhelming emotion.” – Eubie Blake
- “Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.” – Robert A. Heinlein.
- “Envy and jealousy stem from the fundamental inability to rejoice at someone else's happiness or success” – Matthieu Ricard
- “Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.” – Buddha
- “No one can have all he wants, but a man can refrain from wanting what he has not, and cheerfully make the best of a bird in the hand.” – Seneca
- “Insecure people only eclipse your sun because they’re jealous of your daylight and tired of their dark, starless nights.” – Shannon L. Alder
- “Don’t be envious. Be inspired.” – Thibaut
- Jealousy is such a waste of time because you're jealous of them, and they go about their lives and have a wonderful time, so what's the point?” – Joy Behar
- “The wicked envy and hate; it is their way of admiring.” – Victor Hugo
- “It is never wise to seek or wish for another’s misfortune. If malice or envy were tangible and had a shape, it would be the shape of a boomerang.” – Charley Reese
- “Isn't it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up?” – Sean Covey
- “Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.” – Josh Billings
- “Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours.” – Epictetus
- “I think it's important to get your surroundings as well as yourself into a positive state – meaning surround yourself with positive people, not the kind who are negative and jealous of everything you do.” – Heidi Klum
- “Oh, what a bitter thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes.” – William Shakespeare
- “The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.” – Bette Midler
- “Jealousy injures us with the dagger of self-doubt.” – Terri Guillemets
- “Only fools live in the past or carry envy to the present.” – Chi Chi Rodriguez
- “The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.” – William Penn
- “Jealousy is an ugly emotion, but it tells the truth. You mostly envy those who have what you desire.” – Susan Cain
- “Envy is the most stupid of vices, for there is no single advantage to be gained from it.” – Honore de Balzac
- “Throughout life, from childhood, from school until we die, we are taught to compare ourselves with another; yet when I compare myself with another I am destroying myself.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
Throughout life, from childhood, from school until we die, we are taught to compare ourselves with another; yet when I compare myself with another I am destroying myself.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
- “There is no greater glory than love, nor any greater punishment than jealousy.” – Lope de Vega
- “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” – Harold Coffin
- “Jealousy is information. It tells you what you desire, what you admire, what you despise in yourself. You could learn from the person you envy if you weren’t blinded by resentment. Learning feels better than loathing.” – The Stoic Emperor
- “If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.” – Debbie Macomber
- “It is not love that is blind, but jealousy.” – Buddha
- “When you do well, everybody's after you, and sometimes the motive are legitimate, and sometimes it's envy and jealousy.” – Robert Kraft
- “We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of anger, avarice, envy and doubt, that peace and abundance may manifest for all.” – Dorothy Day
- “Envy creates silent enemies.” – Robert Greene
- “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey
- “Envy is ignorance.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “As iron is eaten away by rust, so the envious are consumed by their own passion.” – Antisthenes
- “Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” – Socrates
- “Do you want to be that person with all of their reactions, their desires, their family, their happiness level, their outlook on life, and their self image? If you’re not willing to do a whole sale, 24/7, 100% swap with who that person is, then there’s no point in being jealous.” – Naval Ravikant
- “Whoever envies another confesses his superiority.” – Samuel Johnson, The Rambler
- “Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “The surest route to breeding jealousy is to compare. Since jealousy comes from feeling less than another, comparisons only fan the fires.” – Dorothy Corkille Briggs
- “Envy of others is always a reflection of something we feel about ourselves.” – Shane Parrish
- “Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self worth. Each of us has something to give that no one else has.” – Elizabeth O’Connor
- “Never hate jealous people. They are jealous because they think you are better than them.” – Paulo Coelho
- “A sign of wealth: no envy, no fear.” – Greg Isenberg
- “The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.” – Baltasar Gracian
- “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” – Ann Brashares
- “Negative emotions like loneliness, envy, and guilt have an important role to play in a happy life; they're big, flashing signs that something needs to change.” – Gretchen Rubin
Final Thoughts on the Negative Impact of Envy
It’s good to have dreams and goals. But make sure they are your own and not the result of envying someone else’s success. It won’t make you happy. And it could impact heavily on your relationship with that person.
Focus on what you want out of life. And check out these affirmations for success for a daily burst of positivity.
And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 67 Self-Sabotaging Quotes to Stop Derailing Your Life
- 73 Overcoming Insecurities Quotes
- 77 Rejection Quotes for When People Hurt You
Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.
Rebel Jones has been writing from a young age. She first used poetry to organise words – the rhythm and flow brought peace to her chaos. But as she developed (both as a person and as a writer), she embraced her offbeat thought process and found her own style and tone. Writing is definitely her happy place and one that she’s happy to share with the world.
