Francois de La Rochefoucauld Envy Quotations

The sure mark of one born with noble qualities is being born without envy.

People are often vain of their passions, even of the worst, but envy is a passion so timid and shame-faced that no one ever dare avow her.

Our envy always outlives the felicity of its object.

Jealousy is in a manner just and reasonable, as it tends to preserve a good which belongs, or which we believe belongs to us, on the other hand envy is a fury which cannot endure the happiness of others.

We love much better those who endeavor to imitate us, than those who strive to equal us. For imitation is a sign of esteem, but competition of envy.

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.

The hate of favourites is only a love of favour. The envy of NOT possessing it, consoles and softens its regrets by the contempt it evinces for those who possess it, and we refuse them our homage, not being able to detract from them what attracts that of the rest of the world.

For envy, like lightning, generally strikes at the top Or any point which sticks out from the ordinary level. LUCRETIUS, De Rerum Natura Our envy always outlives the felicity of its object.

We often pride ourselves on even the most criminal passions, but envy is a timid and shamefaced passion we never dare to acknowledge.

Envy is destroyed by true friendship, as coquetry by true love.

The surest proof of being endowed with noble qualities is to be free from envy.

Jealousy is the greatest of all evils, and the one that arouses the least pity in the person who causes it.

Envy is more irreconcilable than hatred.

The truest mark of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy.

Pride, which inspires us with so much envy, is sometimes of use toward the moderating of it too.

The applause we give those who are new to society often proceeds from a secret envying of those already established.

Envy is more incapable of reconciliation than hatred is.

There is something to be said for jealousy, because it only designs the preservation of some good which we either have or think wehave a right to. But envy is a raging madness that cannot bear the wealth or fortune of others.

Moderation is a fear of falling into that envy and contempt which those who grow giddy with their good fortune quite justly draw upon themselves. It is a vain boasting of the greatness of our mind.

Men are often so foolish as to boast and value themselves upon their passions, even those that are most vicious. But envy is a passion so full of cowardice and shame that no one every ever had the confidence to own it.

That man, we may be sure, is a person of true worth, whom those who envy him most are yet forced to praise.

The praise we give to new comers into the world arises from the envy we bear to those who are established.

Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting the envy and contempt which those merit who are intoxicated with their good fortune; it is a vain display of our strength of mind, and in short the moderation of men at their greatest height is only a desire to appear greater than their fortune.