Envy

Envy is sad or resentful covetousness towards the traits or possessions of someone else. This sin was the inspiration behind the first murder — Cain killed his brother because he coveted the favor God showed Abel. As stated in Proverbs 14:30, “envy makes the bones rot.” If you think that’s a hint as to the punishment awaiting the envious in hell, you’d be wrong.

Your punishment for a life of envy is to be immersed in freezing water forever.

Wisdom About Envy

Men are so constituted that every one undertakes what he sees another successful in, whether he has aptitude for it or not.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

The spirit of envy can destroy; it can never build.
Margaret Thatcher

To live without comparison is to remove a tremendous burden.
Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.
Robert A. Heinlein

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

Virtual Antidote: Kindness

Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness breeds cheerfulness or affability, as St. Thomas Aquinas affirms.

Ways to Practice Kindness

• Smile!
• Share with others what you have.
• Seek out the lonely and forgotten people around you and listen to them.
• Hold the door and allow others to enter first.
• Do not interrupt and be polite in your word choice.