Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
William HazlittRead
Envy among other ingredients has a mixture of the love of justice in it. We are more angry at undeserved than at deserved good-fortune.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how envy is intertwined with our sense of justice, as we resent those who receive unearned rewards more than those who deserve them.
William Hazlitt's quote speaks to the complexity of human emotions, particularly envy. It suggests that envy is not merely a spontaneous feeling of discontent towards others' success, but is deeply rooted in our intrinsic sense of fairness. We tend to feel greater resentment towards individuals who prosper without merit, as it clashes with our beliefs about justice and deservingness. This insight reveals how our emotions are often tied to moral considerations and the innate desire for equitable treatment among peers.
Themes
EnvyJusticeEmotionFairnessResentment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the ethics of success and the psychology of envy.
More from William Hazlitt
All quotes βThe world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
William HazlittRead
Our repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain.
William HazlittRead
We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
William HazlittRead
There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.
William HazlittRead
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.
William HazlittRead
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