One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
SolomonRead
Jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. [Therefore do not compare your lot with another's lest you see their advantages and lose the joy of what you already have.]
Interpretation
What this quote means
Jealousy can be destructive and painful, leading to unhappiness when we compare ourselves to others.
This quote highlights the damaging effects of jealousy, comparing it to a grave's cruelty and emphasizing its intense and consuming nature. It warns against the dangers of comparing our lives to others, suggesting that such comparisons can blind us to our own blessings and rob us of joy.
Themes
JealousyHappinessComparisonWisdomContentment
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about personal growth, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of appreciating one's own journey.
More from Solomon
All quotes →Knowledge is of more value than gold
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Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.
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The desire, which is accomplished, is sweet to the soul.
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The man who walks with wise men becomes wise himself.
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One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
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So, my unsolicited advice to women in the workplace is this. When faced with sexism, or ageism, or lookism, or even really aggressive Buddhism, ask yourself the following question: “Is this person in between me and what I want to do?” If the answer is no, ignore it and move on. Your energy is better used doing your work and outpacing people that way. Then, when you’re in charge, don’t hire the people who were jerky to you.
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There's nothing worse than being an aging young person.
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Mark NepoRead