Also our fellow competitors, who are indeed the people…
“Also our fellow competitors, who are indeed the people just mentioned - we do not compete with men who lived a hundred centuries ago, or those yet not born, or the dead, or those who dwell near the Pillars of Hercules, or those whom, in our opinion or that of others, we take to be far below us or far above us. So too we compete with those who follow the same ends as ourselves; we compete with our rivals in sport or in love, and generally with those who are after the same things; and it is therefore these whom we are bound to envy beyond all others. Hence the saying.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
We envy those similar to us in goals, not distant or superior beings.
In simple terms: Envy peers with shared aims.
Key Takeaway
Focus on comparable aspirations.
Themes
ethics
human nature
competition
Mood
contemplative
neutral
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- career ambition
- academic pursuits
- sports rivalry
Key Concepts
envy
comparative judgment
Questions to Reflect On
- Who do you compare yourself to?
- How does this affect your motivation?
A Different Perspective
Envy can arise from perceived inequality.