This post contains some of the best quotes about jealousy and envy.
Envy vs. Jealousy
Envy and jealousy are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to different experiences.
Envy is the feeling of wanting something that someone else has.
Jealousy, on the other hand, is the fear of losing something that you already have to someone else.
It’s important to recognize the difference between these two emotions because they can lead to different behaviors.
Envy can motivate you to work harder and strive to achieve your own goals. However, jealousy can lead to possessiveness, controlling behaviors, and even aggression.
Quotes About Jealousy And Envy
1. “Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another–physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion.” ― Toni Morrison
2. “Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn’t change the heart of others– it only changes yours.” ― Shannon Alder
3. “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
4. “Envy is for people who don’t have the self-esteem to be jealous.” ― Bauvard
5. “Envy is the religion of the mediocre. It comforts them, it soothes their worries, and finally it rots their souls, allowing them to justify their meanness and their greed until they believe these to be virtues. Such people are convinced that the doors of heaven will be opened only to poor wretches like themselves who go through life without leaving any trace but their threadbare attempts to belittle others and to exclude – and destroy if possible – those who, by the simple fact of their existence, show up their own poorness of spirit, mind, and guts. Blessed be the one at whom the fools bark, because his soul will never belong to them.” ― Carlos Ruiz Zafón
6. “Envy, after all, comes from wanting something that isn’t yours. But grief comes from losing something you’ve already had.” ― Jodi Picoult
Related: Retroactive Jealousy Test (+Top 9 Tips On How To Deal With Retroactive Jealousy?)
7. “Greed, envy, sloth, pride and gluttony: these are not vices anymore. No, these are marketing tools. Lust is our way of life. Envy is just a nudge towards another sale. Even in our relationships we consume each other, each of us looking for what we can get out of the other. Our appetites are often satisfied at the expense of those around us. In a dog-eat-dog world we lose part of our humanity.” ― Jon Foreman
8. “I envy people that know love. That have someone who takes them as they are.” ― Jess C Scott
9. “It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” ― Aeschylus
10. “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 – in fact, they are almost incompatible; one emotion hardly leaves room for the other.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
11. “Jealousy is love in competition.” ― Toba Beta
12. “Jealousy isn’t a pleasant quality, but if it isn’t overdone (and if it’s combined with modesty), apart from its inconvenience there’s even something touching about it.” ― Milan Kundera
13. “Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretence of keeping it alive.” ― Havelock Ellis
Related: Overcoming Envy: How To Stop Feeling Envious Of Others’ Success?
14. “Most haters are stuck in a poisonous mental prison of jealousy and self-doubt that blinds them to their own potentiality.” ― Steve Maraboli
15. “Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.” ― François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
16. “Some people suffer from the green-eyed monster called envy.” ― Ana Monnar
17. “They envy the distinction I have won; let them, therefore, envy my toils, my honesty, and the methods by which I gained it.” ― Sallust
18. “Those people, who hate you, envy your freedom.” ― Santosh Kalwar
19. “What is jealousy but a reflection of your own failures?” ― Michael Connelly
20. “What sort of love is permeated by jealousy? You are jealous because you are unaware that everything you need is inside you.” ― Peter Deunov
21. “You can’t be yourself within jealousy.” ― Toba Beta
Related: How To Live A Peaceful Life? 101 Timeless Principles to Find Peace Within Yourself
How to Protect Your Heart From Jealousy and Envy?
1. Name jealousy and envy without judging yourself
The fastest way these emotions grow is through denial and shame. When you tell yourself you should not feel this way, the feeling goes underground and intensifies.
Quietly name it. “This is jealousy.” “This is envy.” Naming it reduces its grip and keeps it from defining you.
2. Separate comparison from reality
Jealousy and envy thrive on comparison, especially incomplete comparison.
You are usually comparing your behind-the-scenes with someone else’s highlight reel. This comparison is not truth. It is selective information your mind is misusing.
3. Identify what the feeling is actually about
Jealousy and envy are rarely about the other person.
They often point to unmet needs, fear of loss, insecurity, or longing. Ask what feels threatened or missing in your life rather than focusing on who triggered it.
4. Stop monitoring what triggers you
Constantly checking social media, tracking someone’s success, or replaying comparisons keeps the wound open.
Protecting your heart sometimes means limiting exposure, not because you are weak, but because you are human.
5. Do not let jealousy speak for you
Strong emotions want immediate expression. Acting while jealous often leads to regret.
Pause before responding, posting, accusing, or withdrawing. Silence is sometimes the most protective response.
6. Redirect attention to what you can control
Jealousy fixates on what you cannot control. Other people’s choices, success, relationships, or timing.
Shift attention to what is in your control. Your actions, boundaries, effort, and values. Control restores stability.
7. Strengthen your sense of self
Jealousy and envy grow when your self-worth is fragile.
Regularly invest in areas of your life that make you feel grounded and capable. When your identity is solid, comparison loses power.
8. Acknowledge desire without resentment
Envy often signals desire, not malice.
You can want what someone else has without resenting them for having it. Desire becomes destructive only when it turns into bitterness.
9. Challenge scarcity thinking
Jealousy often assumes there is not enough love, success, attention, or opportunity.
This mindset keeps you anxious and competitive. Remind yourself that someone else’s gain is not proof of your loss.
10. Set boundaries with your thoughts
You do not have to follow every jealous or envious thought to the end.
When comparison starts looping, interrupt it. Change environments, move your body, or engage in a task. Thought boundaries protect emotional space.
11. Avoid self-punishment
Jealousy and envy often turn inward as self-criticism.
Attacking yourself does not make you better. It makes you smaller. Treat the feeling as information, not a verdict.
12. Practice gratitude without forcing it
Forced gratitude can backfire. Real gratitude grows when pressure is removed.
Gently notice what is steady or supportive in your life without using it to invalidate your pain. Gratitude should ground you, not silence you.
13. Repair rather than repress
If jealousy or envy affected your behavior, repair matters more than perfection.
Own your reactions without overexplaining. Repair protects relationships and self-respect.
14. Accept that these feelings will return sometimes
Jealousy and envy are part of being human.
Progress is not never feeling them again. Progress is noticing them sooner, reacting less, and recovering faster.
Conclusion
If you find yourself experiencing envy or jealousy, it’s important to reflect on the underlying reasons for these emotions.
Are you feeling insecure about your own abilities or possessions? Are there issues in your relationships that need to be addressed?
By addressing the root causes of these emotions, you can better understand yourself and improve your well-being.
