6. Envy

"Of all the characteristics of ordinary human nature envy is the most unfortunate; not only does the envious person wish to inflict misfortune, ... but he is also rendered unhappy by envy. Instead of deriving pleasure from what he has, he derives pain from what others have. ...The only cure for envy in the case of ordinary men and women is happiness, and the difficulty is that envy is itself a terrible obstacle to happiness." [pages 69-70]

"If you desire glory, you may envy Napoleon. But Napoleon envied Caesar, Caesar envied Alexander, and Alexander, I dare say, envied Hercules, who never existed. You cannot therefore get away from envy by means of success alone. ... You can get away from envy by enjoying the pleasures that come your way, by doing the work that you have to do, and by avoiding comparisons with those whom you imagine, perhaps quite falsely, to be more fortunate than yourself." [pages 71-72]

"Unnecessary modesty has a great deal to do with envy. ... Modest people believe themselves to be outshone by those with whom they habitually associate. They are therefore particularly prone to envy, and through envy, to unhappiness and ill will. For my part, I think there is much to be said for bringing up a boy to think himself a fine fellow." [page 72] This point is illustrated by an amusing fable about peacocks.

"By far the most important thing is to secure a life which is satisfying to instinct. ... A man who is happy in his marriage and his children is not likely to feel much envy of other men because of their greater wealth or success." [page 74]