Inspiring Quotes About Envy and Jealousy for Inner Peace

Do you ever feel that envy sneaks into your thoughts when you compare yourself to others? It’s a feeling most of us face, but few talk about openly.

That’s why people often turn to quotes. Words that capture wisdom in a few lines can help you see envy for what it is and remind you to redirect your focus.

You might be here looking for guidance, inspiration, or just reassurance that you’re not alone in battling these feelings. Quotes about envy give you that perspective. They put emotions into words and help you shift your mindset.

What Envy Quotes Reveal About Human Nature

Quotes about envy are short, powerful expressions that capture the reality of comparison and jealousy. They remind you that these feelings are human, but also show you how to rise above them.

When you engage with these quotes, you start to recognize envy without letting it control you. You gain clarity, protect your peace, and focus more on your own growth instead of others’.

Without these reminders, envy can quietly drain your energy. It fuels insecurity, creates unnecessary conflict, and distracts you from what matters most—your own path.

Reading the right words gives you a moment to pause and reset, turning a destructive thought into an opportunity for reflection

Quotes About Envy and Jealousy

1. “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” – Harold Coffin
2. “The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.” – Baltasar Gracián
3. “Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” – Socrates
4. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” – Nelson Mandela
5. “Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.” – Fulton J. Sheen
6. “The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.” – William Penn
7. “It is not love that is blind, but jealousy.” – Lawrence Durrell
8. “Envy shoots at others and wounds itself.” – English Proverb
9. “Envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
10. “Never waste jealousy on a real man: it is the imaginary man that supplants us all in the long run.” – George Bernard Shaw
11. “Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies.” – Elizabeth Bowen
12. “Envy comes from people’s ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts.” – Jean Vanier
13. “The spirit of envy can destroy; it can never build.” – Margaret Thatcher
14. “Jealousy is the grave of affection.” – Mary Baker Eddy
15. “Envy is thin because it bites but never eats.” – Spanish Proverb
16. “Jealousy is an awkward homage which inferiority renders to merit.” – Madame de Puget
17. “Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
18. “Jealousy is the dragon which slays love under the pretense of keeping it alive.” – Havelock Ellis
19. “Envy is the coward side of Hate, and all her ways are bleak and desolate.” – Henry Abbey
20. “Jealousy is, I think, the worst of all faults, for it makes a victim of both parties.” – Gene Tierney
21. “The envious man grows lean at the success of his neighbor.” – Horace
22. “Keep yourselves far from envy; it eats up and takes away good actions, just as fire eats up and burns wood.” – Prophet Muhammad
23. “Jealousy, that dragon which devours love, its food.” – Pierre Corneille
24. “Envy slays itself by its own arrows.” – Ancient Proverb
25. “Jealousy is the fear of comparison.” – Max Frisch

Envy Quotes for Haters and Doubters

26. “People will throw stones at you. Don’t throw them back. Collect them and build an empire.” – Unknown
27. “Haters don’t really hate you, they hate themselves; you’re just a reflection of what they wish to be.” – Yaira N
28. “The only thing more frustrating than slanderers is those foolish enough to listen to them.” – Chris Jammi
29. “Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.” – Nishan Panwar
30. “The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.” – Bette Midler
31. “Remember: people only rain on your parade because they’re jealous of your sun and tired of their shade.” – Unknown
32. “Haters are just confused admirers who can’t understand why everybody else likes you.” – Jeffree Star
33. “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Suzy Kassem
34. “Jealousy is an illness, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other.” – Robert A. Heinlein 
35. “Don’t let negative people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out.” – Robert Tew
36. “Some people only hate you because of the way other people love you.” – Unknown
37. “An enemy generally says and believes what he wishes.” – Thomas Jefferson
38. “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” – Michele Ruiz
39. “Envy is the companion of fame.” – Titus Livius (Livy) 
40. “The knives of jealousy are honed on details.” – Ruth Rendell 
41. “When haters don’t succeed in tearing you down, they’ll start telling lies about you.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour
42. “Often those that criticize others reveal what they themselves lack.” – Shannon L. Alder
43. “He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.” – Ali ibn Abi Talib
44. “Envy is more irreconcilable than hate.” – François de La Rochefoucauld 
45. “People who try to bring you down are already below you.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour
46. “The loudest boos often come from the cheapest seats.” – Unknown
47. “An open enemy is better than a false friend.” – Greek Proverb
48. “Don’t hate what you can’t imitate.” – Unknown
49. “The envious person grows lean with the fatness of their neighbor.” – Socrates
50. “The biggest critics of your success are usually those who have done the least with their own.” – Unknown

Short and Powerful Quotes About Envy

51. “Envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
52. “Envy is a waste of time.” – Unknown
53. “Jealousy is the jaundice of the soul.” – John Dryden
54. “Envy eats nothing but its own heart.” – German Proverb
55. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
56. “Jealousy injures us with the dagger of self-doubt.” – Terri Guillemets
57. “Envy is the enemy of happiness.” – Unknown
58. “Nothing sharpens sight like envy.” – Thomas Fuller
59. “Envy comes from pride.” – Samuel Johnson
60. “Jealousy is an illness, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other.” – Robert A. Heinlein
61. “Envy and wrath shorten the life.” – Bible, Sirach 30:24
62. “Envy is pain at another’s pleasure.” – Aristotle
63. “Jealousy, that dragon which devours love, its food.” – Pierre Corneille
64. “Envy is a declaration of inferiority.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
65. “The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.” – William Penn
66. “Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
67. “Jealousy lives upon doubts. It becomes madness or ceases entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty.” – François de La Rochefoucauld
68. “Envy consumes itself.” – Unknown
69. “Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.” – Fulton J. Sheen
70. “Envy is an insult to yourself.” – Yevgeny Yevtushenko
71. “Jealousy is the dragon which slays love under the pretense of keeping it alive.” – Havelock Ellis
72. “Envy has no rest.” – Latin Proverb
73. “Envy shoots at others and wounds itself.” – English Proverb
74. “Jealousy lives upon doubts. It becomes madness or ceases entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty.” – François de La Rochefoucauld
75. “The envious man grows lean at the success of his neighbor.” – Horace

Reflecting on Envy to Strengthen Your Mindset

How often do you notice envy shaping the way you see yourself or others? Take a moment to think about it. Do these quotes speak to your current challenges, or do they remind you of past experiences?

Reflecting on envy isn’t about judgment. It’s about awareness. When you pause to recognize the feeling, you take back control instead of letting it control you.

Engaging with quotes helps you put things into perspective. They act as quick reminders that growth comes from focusing on your own path. Each reflection deepens your understanding and strengthens your mindset.

By revisiting meaningful words often, you train your mind to respond differently. Instead of comparing, you redirect energy toward progress, gratitude, and peace.

How Envy Quotes Can Stay With You Daily

Envy is part of being human, but it doesn’t have to define your life. You’ve seen how quotes can reframe the feeling, guide your thinking, and remind you to stay grounded in your own journey.

Use these words as tools. Write them down. Save a few on your phone. Repeat them when comparison shows up. Small steps like these help you shift your perspective daily.

Keep reminding yourself: your path is unique, and your progress is worth celebrating. Let these quotes be a steady guide whenever envy tries to distract you.