120 Quotes To Help You Make Sense Of Jealousy and How To Overcome it

Jealousy is a powerful emotion that most of us experience in some way, and when it does arise, it can be quite uncomfortable and frustrating to deal with.

It might manifest as resentment or anger over a coworker’s promotion, a stranger on the internet’s exotic vacation, when your ex is dating someone new or when your best friend starts getting close to someone else. 

We’ve all been there, but why do we get jealous? The simple answer is that jealousy is an emotional reaction we have to the threat of having something or someone we value taken away from us. It’s often triggered when something in the present reminds us of something that hurt us in the past.

It is one of those emotions we’re hard wired for through evolution, but the good news is that it’s possible to put jealousy to good use. If we take the time to recognize, accept our feelings and become curious about them, we give ourselves the opportunity of developing more self-awareness. 

Figuring out what’s at the root of our feelings isn’t easy, but practicing self-compassion can give us the insight we need to transform jealousy into a personal growth journey.

Next time you catch yourself feeling the sting of envy, remind yourself that it’s ok to feel this way and try digging a little deeper — you could very well be uncovering the motivation you need to become your best self.

Jealousy Insecurity Quotes

Jealousy refers to the fear of losing something or someone that we value, and it’s often driven by low self-esteem and insecurities. Lack of trust in others, and especially in ourselves, is a breeding ground for jealousy.

Instead of acting on those feelings, take a moment to reflect on what they’re trying to tell you. These quotes on jealousy and insecurity might help you see the bigger picture.

Jealousy refers to the fear of losing something or someone that we value, and it’s often driven by low self-esteem and insecurities. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not. Ann Brashares

​​The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves. William Penn

Envy is pain at the good fortune of others. Aristotle

If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think. Tim Ferriss

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

Insecurity is an ugly thing. It makes you hate people you don't even know. Drake

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

Jealousy is not a barometer by which the depth of love can be read. It merely records the degree of the lover's insecurity. Margaret Mead

Jealousy is not so much the love of another as the love of ourselves. François de la Rochefoucauld

Isn't it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up? Sean Covey

Jealousy is an ugly emotion, but it tells the truth. You mostly envy those who have what you desire. Susan Cain

We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of anger, avarice, envy and doubt, that peace and abundance may manifest for all. Dorothy Day

Next to worry, probably one of the most potent causes of unhappiness is envy. Bertrand Russell

Never hate jealous people. They are jealous because they think you are better than them. Paulo Coelho

Negative emotions like loneliness, envy, and guilt have an important role to play in a happy life; they’re big, flashing signs that something needs to change. Gretchen Rubin

Jealousy quotes for haters

Haters gonna hate. You’ve probably heard the colloquial saying before. That’s because it’s far too common to have to deal with negativity and criticism of others no matter what we do. Most people are simply projecting their own insecurities and fears onto you, so it’s best to not give them any attention.

Let these quotes about jealousy remind you to stay focused on you whenever you have to deal with the haters.

It is never wise to seek or wish for another’s misfortune. If malice or envy were tangible and had a shape, it would be the shape of a boomerang. Charley Reese

Don’t worry about the haters… They are just angry because the truth you speak contradicts the lie they live. Steve Maraboli

Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are. Kristen Stewart

Envy, if surrounded on all sides by the brightness of another’s prosperity, like the scorpion confined within a circle of fire, will sting itself to death. Charles Caleb Colton

Envy is the coward side of Hate, and all her ways are bleak and desolate. Henry Abbey

Envy is a littleness of soul, which cannot see beyond a certain point, and if it does not occupy the whole space, feels itself excluded. William Hazlitt

The best way to counter-attack a hater is to make it blatantly obvious that their attack has had no impact on you. Tim Ferris

Jealousy is the very reverse of understanding, of sympathy, and of generous feeling. Never has jealousy added to character, never does it make the individual big and fine. Emma Goldman

Jealousy is the fear of comparison. Max Frisch

Most haters are stuck in a poisonous mental prison of jealousy and self-doubt that blinds them to their own potentiality. Steve Maraboli

Gossip is just a tool to distract people who have nothing better to do from feeling jealous of those few of us still remaining with noble hearts. Anna Godbersen

Jealous people poison their own banquet and then eat it. Washington Irving

The only way to succeed is to make people hate you. That way, they remember you. Josef von Sternberg

Normally, I try not to pay attention to my haters, but this time I’d like to talk about it, because my haters are my motivators. Ellen DeGeneres

People hate those who make them feel their own inferiority. Lord Chesterfield

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. Mother Teresa

Funny jealousy quotes

If we let it, jealousy can really bring out the best and the worst of us — the choice is ours. We can choose to let it overwhelm us and be destructive, or use our feelings of jealousy as an opportunity for growth.

Either way, it can be pretty ridiculous. Looking for a good laugh? These funny jealousy quotes will do the trick.

If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher. Debbie Macomber

Envy is thin because it bites but never eats. Spanish Proverb

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. Elbert Hubbard

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

Envy's a coal comes hissing hot from Hell. Philip James Bailey

My wife’s jealousy is getting ridiculous. The other day she looked at my calendar and wanted to know who May was. Rodney Dangerfield

If bitterness wants to get into the act, I offer it a cookie or a gumdrop. James Broughton

The venom clamors of a jealous woman poison more deadly than a mad dog’s tooth. William Shakespeare

Pity is for the living, envy is for the dead. Mark Twain

Being with an insanely jealous person is like being in the room with a dead mammoth. Mike Nichols

More men die of jealousy than of cancer. Joseph P. Kennedy

Birds have wings; they’re free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy. Roger Tory Peterson

Jealousy is a keen observer, but looks for all the wrong signs. H. L. Mencken

Nothing is as obnoxious as other people's luck. F. Scott Fitzgerald

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Carrie Fisher

Jealousy is a dog's bark which attracts thieves. Karl Kraus

Jealousy quotes in relationship

A little jealousy in relationships isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can become destructive if it is left unchecked. Without trust, it will be hard to maintain a healthy and loving relationship.

So, the next time you feel jealous, please don’t ignore it. Let it be a teachable moment. These quotes about jealousy will help you cope and understand why it shows up in your relationship.

He was jealous of her future, and she of his past. Anaïs Nin

Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretence of keeping it alive. Havelock Ellis

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

It is not love that is blind, but jealousy. Lawrence Durrell

No greater mischief could be wrought, Than love united to a jealous thought. Robert Greene

Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope. Josh Billings

There is no greater glory than love, nor any greater punishment than jealousy. Lope de Vega

What sort of love is permeated by jealousy? You are jealous because you are unaware that everything you need is inside you. Peter Deunov

​​I never admire another's fortune so much that I became dissatisfied with my own. Marcus Tullius Cicero

It’s a bad word, ‘belong.’ Especially when you put it with somebody you love … You can’t own a human being.Toni Morrison

Love grows from stable relationships, shared experience, loyalty, devotion, trust. Richard Wright

If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. Hanh Nhat Thich

Love sees sharply, hatred sees even more sharp, but Jealousy sees the sharpest for it is love and hate at the same time. Sarah Brightman

Anger, hatred and jealousy never solve problems, only affection, concern and respect can do that. Dalai Lama

Jealousy quotes from literature

Some of the best wisdom of all time can be found hidden in book passages. Authors of all stripes have been pondering the meaning of jealousy and how to deal with it throughout history, underscoring how universal of an emotion it is.

Here are some of the most thought-provoking quotes about the green-eyed monster from literature.

Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo. H.G Wells

You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself. Margaret Atwood

As iron is eaten by rust, so are the envious consumed by envy. Antisthenes

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

Besides, I’m not jealous. I’m just so in love with you that there isn’t anything else. Ernest Hemingway

So full of artless jealousy is guilt, It spills itself in fearing to be spilt. William Shakespeare

What is jealousy but a reflection of your own failures? Micheal Connelly

Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies. Elizabeth Bowen

Surrounded by the flames of jealousy, the jealous one winds up, like the scorpion, turning the poisoned sting against himself. Friedrich Nietzsche

The envious will die, but envy never. Molière

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

Jealousy is the jaundice of the soul. John Dryden

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

Quotes on competition and jealousy

Low self-esteem and insecurities can fuel competition and jealousy but it’s possible to channel those negative feelings into motivation to strive for better. Chances are, if we experiencing jealousy or envy, there is something missing from our current realities and it's our responsibility to us to find out what that is.

Check out these quotes on jealousy and competitiveness to help you manage your feelings better.

A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not. Seneca

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind. Buddha

It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered. Aeschylus

The jealousy that arises from another’s achievement is overcome by developing an awareness of and admiration for one’s own and other’s achievement. Dalai Lama

Don’t torment yourself with jealousy. It’s a silly illusion that someone’s life is better than yours when the truth is that each one of us is on a different path. Demi Lovato

Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours. Epictetus

Transform jealousy to admiration, and what you admire will become part of your life. Yoko Ono

Of all the passions, jealousy is that which exacts the hardest service, and pays the bitterest wages. Its service is to watch the success of one's enemy; its wages to be sure of it. Charles Caleb Colton

To venture upon an undertaking of any kind, even the most insignificant, is to sacrifice to envy. Emil Cioran

Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealousy, and envy. Og Mandino

The secret of success is that it is not the absence of failure, but the absence of envy. Herodotus

When you do well, everybody’s after you, and sometimes the motives are legitimate, and sometimes it’s envy and jealousy. Robert Kraft

Quotes about jealousy being ugly

We all have days when we don’t feel and look our best and it can be tempting to compare ourselves to others. We’ve all had moments when we’ve felt envious of others for being more confident or more attractive but dwelling too much on what we don’t have distracts us from appreciating what makes us so unique.

Next you’re feeling jealous of the prettiest girl in the room, check out these quotes for some reassurance that you are perfect just the way you are.

Envy comes from people’s ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts.

JEAN VANIER

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

CONFUCIUS

Comparison is the thief of joy.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self-worth. Each of us has something to give that no one else has.

ELIZABETH O’CONNOR

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

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

PLATO

We spend our time envying people whom we wouldn't wish to be.

JEAN ROSTAND

Afflictive emotions – our jealousy, anger, hatred, fear – can be put to an end. When you realize that these emotions are only temporary, that they always pass on like clouds in the sky, you also realize they can ultimately be abandoned.

DALAI LAMA

Famous quotes on jealousy

Jealousy is no fun and some of the world’s most celebrated know it too. Through experience, many have come to overcome it and have been so gracious in sharing their insights with us through time.

Here are some of the most famous quotes on jealousy we could find.

Oh, what a bitter thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

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

MARGARET THATCHER

Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

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

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

The envious person grows lean with the fatness of their neighbor.

SOCRATES

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

SALVADOR DALI

Don't waste time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.

MARY SCHMICH

Envy is the antagonist of the fortunate.

EPICTETUS

Envy blinds men and makes it impossible for them to think clearly.

MALCOLM X

You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars.

GARY ALLAN

Whoever envies another confesses his superiority.

SAMUEL JOHNSON

He who goes unenvied shall not be admired.

AESCHYLUS

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

OLIVER STONE

You’re subject to sorrow, fear, jealousy, anger and inconsistency. That’s the real reason you should admit that you are not wise.

MARCUS AURELIUS

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

BETTE MIDLER

Jealousy quotes about friendship

Feeling jealous of a friend is all too common and quite unsettling. We want to be supportive but deep down, all we can do is compare their success to ours and this eats away at us. 

For the sake of preserving your friendship, you might want to dig deeper to figure out why you’re feeling this way, before it breeds more negativity. These quotes will help you overcome your feelings of jealousy, so you can feel happy for your friend’s success.

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

DR. SEUSS

When people don't want the best for you, they are not the best for you.

GAYLE KING

Comparison is a very foolish attitude, because each person is unique and incomparable. Once this understanding settles in you, jealousy disappears.

OSHO

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

MATTHIEU RICARD

There is never jealousy where there is not strong regard.

WASHINGTON IRVING

Jealousy is, I think, the worst of all faults because it makes a victim of both parties.

GENE TIERNEY

Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.

OPRAH WINFREY

Among true and real friends, all is common; and were ignorance and envy and superstition banished from the world, all mankind would be friend.

PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY

Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than anger, because it involves the thought that other people enjoy the good things of life which the envier can’t hope to attain through hard work and emulation.

MARTHA NUSSBAUM

Jealousy is all the fun you think they had.

ERICA JONG

Few men have the natural strength to honor a friend's success without envy.

AESCHYLUS