Jealous Quotes: Navigating the Intricacies of Envy

Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other, or assumes that the greater the love, the greater the jealousy.

Robert A. Heinlein highlights the confusion between jealousy and love, emphasizing that a mature mind can distinguish between the two.

Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.

Fulton J. Sheen suggests that jealousy often stems from mediocrity, highlighting how it recognizes and envies true talent and genius.

Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other.

This quote explains the common confusion between jealousy and love, emphasizing that true love is healthy while jealousy is detrimental.

Jealousy is a monster that lives within us, and we must learn to tame it before it devours us.

This quote personifies jealousy as a monster, warning that it must be controlled to prevent it from causing harm.

Jealousy is the art of counting someone else's blessings instead of your own.

Harold Coffin defines jealousy as focusing on the fortunes of others rather than appreciating one’s own blessings.

Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart.

This quote compares jealousy to a tiger, illustrating how it harms both the object of jealousy and the jealous individual.

Jealousy is a kind of civil war in the soul, where judgment and imagination are at perpetual odds.

William Penn describes jealousy as an internal conflict, highlighting the struggle between rational judgment and wild imagination.

Jealousy is the fear of comparison.

Max Frisch succinctly defines jealousy as a fear of being unfavorably compared to others.

Jealousy is a disease that often has no cure, except for love and trust.

This quote suggests that the antidote to jealousy lies in developing love and trust.

Jealousy is a green-eyed monster that makes fun of the victims it devours.

This quote personifies jealousy as a mocking green-eyed monster that delights in the suffering it causes.

Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other.

Reiterating the confusion between jealousy and love, this quote emphasizes the importance of maturity in understanding true love.

Jealousy is the art of wishing others were as happy as you are miserable.

This quote defines jealousy as desiring others to share in one’s own unhappiness, highlighting its destructive nature.

Jealousy is the art of counting someone else's blessings instead of your own.

Harold Coffin emphasizes that jealousy involves focusing on others’ fortunes rather than appreciating one’s own.

Jealousy is a dragon that slays love under the pretense of keeping it alive.

Havelock Ellis describes jealousy as a destructive force that masquerades as a protector of love, ultimately harming it.

Jealousy is the jaundice of the soul.

John Dryden compares jealousy to jaundice, indicating how it sickens and corrupts the soul.

Jealousy is a self-destructive emotion. It eats away at your inner peace and makes you feel inadequate and resentful.

This quote highlights the self-destructive nature of jealousy, explaining how it erodes inner peace and fosters negative feelings.

Jealousy is a disease that often has no cure, except for love and trust.

This quote suggests that the antidote to jealousy lies in developing love and trust.

Jealousy is a waste of time. It's like being stuck in traffic.

Katie Lee Joel compares jealousy to being stuck in traffic, emphasizing its futility and the time it wastes.

Jealousy is a wasted emotion that blinds us to our own potential.

This quote highlights how jealousy prevents us from recognizing and achieving our own potential.

Don't let jealousy control you. Use it as fuel to become better.

This quote advises to transform jealousy into a motivator for self-improvement rather than letting it control one’s actions.

Jealousy is the dragon in paradise; the hell of heaven; and the most bitter of the emotions because associated with the sweetest.

A.R. Orage poetically describes jealousy as a paradoxical emotion, blending the most bitter feelings with the sweetest.

Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to achievement.

H.L. Mencken suggests that jealousy from others is often a sign of one’s own success and achievements.

Jealousy is that pain which a man feels from the apprehension that he is not equally beloved by the person whom he entirely loves.

Joseph Addison describes jealousy as the fear and pain of not being equally loved by someone one loves deeply.

Jealousy is a sign of insecurity and lack of trust in oneself.

Brian Tracy identifies jealousy as an indicator of personal insecurity and lack of self-trust.

Jealousy is the cousin of greed. We seem to focus on what we want and lose sight of what we actually need.

Christina Aguilera compares jealousy to greed, noting how both emotions focus on desires rather than needs.

"Jealousy is all the fun you think they had."

Erica Jong, an American novelist and poet, humorously reflects on the misconception of jealousy, suggesting that it is often a projection of our own desires and fantasies onto others' experiences.

"The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves."

William Penn, the English founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, emphasizes the self-destructive nature of jealousy, pointing out its capacity to harm both the individual who feels it and those around them.

"Envy is thin because it bites but never eats."

This Spanish proverb highlights the emptiness of envy (a close cousin to jealousy), illustrating how it can consume the envious person without ever providing satisfaction or substance.

"Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn't change the heart of others-- it only changes yours."

Shannon Alder, an inspirational author, speaks to the transformative, yet negative, impact of jealousy and related emotions on the person who harbors them, rather than on the people they are directed towards.

"Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretense of keeping it alive."

Havelock Ellis, a British psychologist, describes jealousy as a destructive force that paradoxically claims to protect love, while in reality, it undermines and destroys it.

"Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other, or assumes that the greater the love, the greater the jealousy."

Robert A. Heinlein, an American science-fiction author, distinguishes between jealousy and love, considering jealousy as a negative emotion that often gets confused with the depth of love.

"To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self."

Joan Didion, an American writer and journalist, offers a remedy for jealousy by suggesting that recognizing it as an internal issue of self-contentment is the first step towards overcoming it.

"Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies."

Elizabeth Bowen, an Anglo-Irish novelist, captures the isolating and adversarial nature of jealousy, likening it to being solitary in the midst of foes who feign happiness.

"I've never been jealous. Not even when my dad finished fifth grade a year before I did."

Jeff Foxworthy, an American comedian, uses humor to express his perspective on jealousy, suggesting a lighthearted acceptance of one's own path and achievements without comparison to others.

"Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope."

Josh Billings, a 19th-century American humorist, contrasts love and envy (related to jealousy) by suggesting that love chooses to see the bigger picture, while envy focuses on minute, often negative details.

"Jealousy is the jaundice of the soul."

John Dryden, an influential English poet, literary critic, and playwright, metaphorically describes jealousy as a disease that colors and distorts the perception of the soul, similar to how jaundice affects the body.

"The venom clamours of a jealous woman poison more deadly than a mad dog's tooth."

William Shakespeare, the eminent English playwright and poet, eloquently speaks to the destructive power of a jealous woman, comparing it to the lethal bite of a rabid dog.

"Never waste jealousy on a real man: it is the imaginary man that supplants us all in the long run."

George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist, offers a witty observation on the futility of jealousy, noting that it is often the idealized versions of people that are the real rivals.

"Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart."

This anonymous quote vividly illustrates the self-destructive nature of jealousy, likening it to a tiger that harms both others and itself in its fury.

"Envy and jealousy are incurable diseases."

Robert Kraft, an American businessman, underscores the deep-rooted and persistent nature of envy and jealousy, suggesting they are emotional conditions that are difficult to fully overcome.

"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, an American poet and civil rights activist, compares jealousy in relationships to salt in food, highlighting how a balance is crucial and excess can be harmful.

"It is not love that is blind, but jealousy."

Lawrence Durrell, a British novelist, poet, and travel writer, suggests that jealousy, rather than love, impairs our ability to see clearly and understand the truth.

"The fire of jealousy can only be quenched by the waters of indifference."

This anonymous quote metaphorically states that only through indifference can one truly overcome the consuming fire of jealousy, indicating that detachment is key to extinguishing its effects.

"Jealousy, that sickening combination of possessiveness, suspicion, rage, and humiliation, can overtake your mind and threaten your very core of being."

Iris Murdoch, a British novelist and philosopher, describes jealousy as a complex and intense emotion that can dominate one's thoughts and shake the foundation of one's self-esteem and security.

"Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo."

H.G. Wells, an English writer in many genres, including the novel and social commentary, cleverly suggests that moral outrage can often be a disguise for jealousy, elevating it with a semblance of virtue.

"Often those that criticise others reveal what he himself lacks."

Shannon L. Alder, an inspirational author, suggests that jealousy often manifests as criticism, revealing the critic's own insecurities and deficiencies.

"Jealousy is a mongrel that barks at the gates of joy."

This anonymous quote poetically illustrates jealousy as a disruptive force, standing guard against happiness and fulfillment, eager to disturb peace whenever it senses it.

"The only thing more frustrating than slanderers is those foolish enough to listen to them."

Criss Jami, a contemporary American poet and philosopher, addresses the role of jealousy in spreading false information and the responsibility of the audience to discern truth from malice.

"Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own."

Harold Coffin, a humorist, defines envy (closely related to jealousy) with wit, highlighting the folly in focusing on what others have, rather than appreciating one's own fortunes.

"Comparison is the thief of joy."

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, succinctly captures the essence of jealousy and envy, noting how comparing oneself to others can rob one of happiness.

"Nothing brings on jealousy like laughter."

Françoise Sagan, a French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter, succinctly captures how the sound of laughter can often stir feelings of jealousy, highlighting the emotion's connection to desiring the happiness perceived in others.

"Jealousy is when you count someone else's blessings instead of your own."

This anonymous quote elegantly states that jealousy stems from focusing on what others have, rather than appreciating one's own life and achievements.

"The jealous are possessed by a mad devil and a dull spirit at the same time."

Johann Kaspar Lavater, a Swiss poet and philosopher, describes the tumultuous inner conflict of jealousy, driven by both irrational fervor and a lack of insight.

"Jealousy is a sea in which getting drowned seems better than swimming and struggling."

An anonymous insight into jealousy, portraying it as an overwhelming force that makes giving into it seem easier than fighting against its tide.

"To jealousy, nothing is more frightful than laughter."

Fyodor Dostoevsky, the Russian novelist and philosopher, explores the idea that laughter, a symbol of joy and carefreeness, is deeply unsettling to the jealous mind, for it represents what they most lack and desire.

"Jealousy is the fear of comparison."

Max Frisch, a Swiss playwright and novelist, succinctly identifies jealousy as stemming from the fear of being compared unfavorably to others, highlighting insecurity as its root.

"Love and jealousy run on the same tracks, it’s just that jealousy has a shorter fuse."

This anonymous quote compares love and jealousy to trains on the same track, suggesting that while both are driven by deep emotion, jealousy is more likely to explode into conflict.

"Jealousy is always born with love, but does not always die with it."

François de La Rochefoucauld, a noted French moralist, reflects on the enduring nature of jealousy, noting that while it often emerges alongside love, it can outlast the very affection that gave it birth.

"The covetous man never has enough, much like jealousy, which always sees more than is there."

An anonymous observation that draws a parallel between the insatiability of greed and the distortion of perception characteristic of jealousy, both driven by an endless desire for more.

"In jealousy, there is more self-love than love."

François de La Rochefoucauld offers a poignant critique of jealousy, suggesting it is more about the ego and possessiveness of the jealous person than about genuine love for the other.

"Jealousy is a symptom of insecurity."

An insightful observation that frames jealousy not as an emotion in its own right, but as a manifestation of deeper feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.

"Where there is jealousy, there is often an attempt to secure love."

Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher, logician, and essayist, suggests that jealousy can be an expression of the desire to make sure of one's place in the heart of a loved one, highlighting its complex relationship with love.

"Jealousy is the tie that binds, and binds, and binds."

Helen Rowland, an American journalist and humorist, humorously yet accurately depicts jealousy as a force that constricts and confines relationships, highlighting its stifling nature.

"Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love."

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), a Victorian novelist, draws a parallel between jealousy and love, noting how both emotions are obsessively focused on their object, unwilling to let go.

"Jealousy is the fear or apprehension of superiority: envy our uneasiness under it."

William Shenstone, an English poet, differentiates between jealousy and envy by their causes and effects, providing insight into the nuanced dynamics of comparative emotions.

"Jealousy, that green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

William Shakespeare, in "Othello", personifies jealousy as a self-destructive force that belittles the very desires it covets, capturing the paradoxical nature of jealousy with timeless eloquence.

"The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents."

Salvador Dalí, the surrealist artist, provocatively suggests that jealousy is a measure of success, implying that the envy of others is an indicator of one's achievements.

"Never underestimate the power of jealousy and the power of envy to destroy. Never underestimate that."

Oliver Stone, the film director and screenwriter, warns of the destructive capacity of jealousy and envy, emphasizing their potential to wreak havoc on personal and professional relationships.

"Jealousy is a sea in which courage drowns."

An anonymous quote that metaphorically depicts jealousy as a vast and overwhelming force capable of submerging one's bravery and self-assurance, illustrating the disempowering effect of this emotion.

"Envy and jealousy stem from the fundamental inability to rejoice at someone else's happiness or success."

Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk and author, delves into the root cause of envy and jealousy, highlighting a lack of empathy and joy for others' achievements as the core issue.

"Jealousy is a symptom of neurotic insecurity."

Robert A. Heinlein, in his exploration of human emotions, identifies jealousy as a manifestation of deeper psychological insecurities, offering a perspective that sees it as more than just a relational emotion, but a signal of underlying personal issues.

"The shadow of jealousy can only be dispelled by the light of understanding."

An anonymous quote suggesting that jealousy thrives in the darkness of misunderstanding and can only be overcome through the clarity that comes with empathy and insight.

"Jealousy is, in a sense, the fear of losing what we possess to another."

This quote reflects on jealousy as rooted in possessiveness and the anxiety over potential loss, highlighting the emotion's basis in attachment and fear.

"In the presence of envy, happiness flourishes not."

An insightful remark on how envy, a close relative of jealousy, creates an environment where true happiness is stifled, emphasizing the toxic impact of such emotions on personal well-being.

"True confidence leaves no room for jealousy. When you know you are great, you have no need to hate."

Nicki Minaj, a contemporary musician and cultural icon, speaks to the power of self-assurance in overcoming jealousy, suggesting that genuine self-esteem naturally dispels feelings of envy and competition.

"Envy is a declaration of inferiority."

Napoleon Bonaparte, the French military leader, succinctly captures how envy, closely related to jealousy, essentially admits to feeling lesser than someone else, highlighting its roots in personal insecurity.

"The cure for jealousy is transparency and trust."

This anonymous quote proposes a straightforward remedy for jealousy, emphasizing the importance of open communication and faith in one another as foundational to overcoming such feelings.

"Jealousy is a miserable feeling, but it is also a powerful motivator."

An insightful observation that, while jealousy is often seen negatively, it can also serve as a catalyst for personal growth and motivation to improve oneself.

"To be jealous is to admit you are in competition with others."

This quote delves into the psychology of jealousy, pointing out that at its core, jealousy reveals a mindset of competition, often where one may not even exist.

"Jealousy dims the light of the luminous heart."

A poetic expression of how jealousy can overshadow the brightness and positivity of one's spirit, suggesting that it has the power to diminish our inner light and goodness.

"Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius."

Fulton J. Sheen, an insightful theologian and broadcaster, illuminates the dynamic between average achievements and exceptional talent, suggesting that jealousy is often the response of the former towards the latter.

"Jealousy is a sea in which courage drowns."

This quote metaphorically portrays jealousy as an overwhelming force capable of overpowering one's bravery and self-assurance, emphasizing its detrimental impact on personal strength.

"Jealousy is when you worry someone will take what you have. Envy is wanting what someone else has."

An insightful distinction that clarifies the nuanced difference between jealousy and envy, emphasizing jealousy's focus on loss and envy's desire for others' possessions or qualities.

"A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms."

Zen Shin speaks to the heart of overcoming jealousy by focusing on personal growth and self-expression, rather than comparison and competition with others.

"Jealousy is a lack of appreciation for one's own special qualities."

This quote suggests that jealousy stems from an inability to recognize and value one's own uniqueness and contributions, pointing towards self-awareness as a remedy.

"The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you."

Bette Midler touches on the loneliness that can accompany achievement, highlighting how jealousy often prevents others from genuinely sharing in one's joy and success.

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."

Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher, offers timeless advice on contentment, urging an appreciation for present blessings as an antidote to jealousy and envy.

"Envy is an insult to oneself."

Yevgeny Yevtushenko, a Russian poet, suggests that envy degrades one's sense of self-worth, implying that it is a self-inflicted injury to one's dignity and self-respect.

"The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause."

Baltasar Gracián, a Spanish Jesuit and baroque prose writer and philosopher, highlights the perpetual torment of the envious, who suffer each time another receives recognition.

"Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy."

François de La Rochefoucauld, the French moralist, reflects on the enduring nature of envy compared to the fleeting moments of joy experienced by those who are envied.

"Beware of jealousy, for verily it destroys good deeds the way fire destroys wood."

Prophet Muhammad emphasizes the destructive power of jealousy, likening it to fire that consumes wood, highlighting its ability to obliterate virtues and good actions.

"Jealousy is a tiger that tears not just those around it, but often itself, apart."

An anonymous reflection on the self-destructive nature of jealousy, portraying it as a beast capable of causing harm to both the object of jealousy and the one who harbors it.

"Jealousy is the very reverse of understanding, patience, and true love."

Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian guru and spiritual leader, contrasts jealousy with the virtues of understanding, patience, and love, underscoring its opposition to the foundations of compassionate relationships.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

Marcel Proust, the French novelist, provides an antidote to jealousy by encouraging gratitude towards those who bring joy and fulfillment into our lives, fostering an environment where envy has no place.

"The cure for the green-eyed monster is to understand that the sun shines on everyone equally."

An anonymous wisdom pointing towards the realization that fortune and misfortune are distributed without preference, encouraging a perspective of fairness and universal benevolence to combat jealousy.