--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Envying another man's happiness is…" description: "\"Envying another man's happiness is madness; you wouldn't know what to do with it if you had it.\" — Andre Gide" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/andre-gide-790_another-man_envying-another-man-s-happiness-is-madne_94636.png" --- # Envying another man's happiness is madness; you wouldn't… ![“Envying another man's happiness is madness; you wouldn't know what to do with it if you had it.” quote by Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/andre-gide-790_another-man_envying-another-man-s-happiness-is-madne_94636.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/andre-gide-790_another-man_envying-another-man-s-happiness-is-madne_94636.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/andre-gide-790_another-man_envying-another-man-s-happiness-is-madne_94636.png) > “Envying another man's happiness is madness; you wouldn't know what to do with it if you had it.” [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Envying another's joy is irrational because the envier lacks the capacity to appreciate it, rendering the feeling futile. **In simple terms:** Envy is self-defeating. Key Takeaway You can't value what you can't have. Themes envy happiness irrationality self-awareness psychology Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical observation When to use this quote - workplace competition - social media scrolling Key Concepts emotional intelligence comparative mindset Practical Applications - mental health workshops - personal reflection Questions to Reflect On - What transforms envy into inspiration? - How does recognizing futility change emotional response? A Different Perspective Envy can motivate self-improvement if redirected constructively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“Our lives are the best school in the universe because we all have to face happiness and madness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalin-shu/our-lives-are-the-best-school-in-the-universe-because-we-all-have-to/) dalin shu > [Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you Remus?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sirius-black/well-you-d-know-all-about-the-madness-within-wouldn-t-you-remus/) [Sirius Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sirius-black/) > [My life hasn't been perfect, yet I've never wasted my time envying anyone else. If something wasn't the best it could be - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleatha-romig/my-life-hasn-t-been-perfect-yet-i-ve-never-wasted-my-time-envying/) [Aleatha Romig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleatha-romig/) > [In America, if you succeed, you don't have to apologize. In Italy, success is envied, and envy is the worst, worst, worst thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lapo-elkann/in-america-if-you-succeed-you-don-t-have-to-apologize-in-italy/) [Lapo Elkann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lapo-elkann/) > [Never wish you were somebody else; There are people out there envying you for who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/never-wish-you-were-somebody-else-there-are-people-out-there-envying/) Pacifiersucker > [A person worth envying is a person who doesn't envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boonaa-mohammed/a-person-worth-envying-is-a-person-who-doesn-t-envy/) [Boonaa Mohammed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boonaa-mohammed/) > [“Envy is the most futile of emotions. Sometimes, you are envying an idea you have about someone, but you’re actually envying fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-mason/envy-is-the-most-futile-of-emotions-sometimes-you-are-envying-an-idea/) [Carol Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-mason/) > [Envy, my children, follows pride; whoever is envious is proud. See, envy comes to us from Hell; the devils having sinned through pride, sinned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vianney/envy-my-children-follows-pride-whoever-is-envious-is-proud-see-envy/) [John Vianney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vianney/) > [Never wish you were somebody else, because their are people out there envying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica/never-wish-you-were-somebody-else-because-their-are-people-out-there/) Jessica > [The applause we give those who are new to society often proceeds from a secret envying of those already established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-applause-we-give-those-who-are-new-to-society-often-proceeds-from/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Envying anothers beauty will diminish your own. But when you praise beauty in others your own beauty deepens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/envying-anothers-beauty-will-diminish-your-own-but-when-you-praise/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [Envy, envy eats them alive. If you had money, they’d envy you that. But since you don’t, they envy you for having such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/envy-envy-eats-them-alive-if-you-had-money-they-d-envy-you-that-but/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [How amazing it is to be alive Anyone who lives and breathes and puts both feet on the ground, What possible reason could he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/how-amazing-it-is-to-be-alive-anyone-who-lives-and-breathes-and-puts/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [“There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/there-is-however-a-far-more-common-ailment-among-us-and-that-is-pride/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [I said to myself: 'You mean all those people out there that I've been envying because they're not afraid to move ahead with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/i-said-to-myself-you-mean-all-those-people-out-there-that-i-ve-been/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) ## More by Andre Gide > [Without mysticism man can achieve nothing great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/without-mysticism-man-can-achieve-nothing-great/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“The things one feels are different about oneself are the things that are rare, that give each person their value - and these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/the-things-one-feels-are-different-about-oneself-are-the-things-that/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [I believe that in every circumstance I have been able to see rather clearly the most advantageous course I could follow, which is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/i-believe-that-in-every-circumstance-i-have-been-able-to-see-rather/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Know thyself. A maxim as pernicious as it is ugly. Whoever studies himself arrest his own development. A caterpillar who seeks to know himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/know-thyself-a-maxim-as-pernicious-as-it-is-ugly-whoever-studies/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“There is a germ of revolt lying in the spirit of inquiry and critical curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-is-a-germ-of-revolt-lying-in-the-spirit-of-inquiry-and-critical/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/oh-would-that-my-mind-could-let-fall-its-dead-ideas-as-the-tree-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [God lies ahead. I convince myself and constantly repeat to myself that: He depends on us. It is through us that God is achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/god-lies-ahead-i-convince-myself-and-constantly-repeat-to-myself-that/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“Welcome everything that comes to you, but do not long for anything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/welcome-everything-that-comes-to-you-but-do-not-long-for-anything-else/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [There are many things that seem impossible only so long as one does not attempt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-are-many-things-that-seem-impossible-only-so-long-as-one-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [So long as we live among men, let us cherish humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/so-long-as-we-live-among-men-let-us-cherish-humanity/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [It is one of life's laws that as soon as one door closes another opens. But the tragedy is we look at the closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-one-of-life-s-laws-that-as-soon-as-one-door-closes-another/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“What would a narrative of happiness be like? All that can be described is what prepares it, and then what destroys it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/what-would-a-narrative-of-happiness-be-like-all-that-can-be-described/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [It is with noble sentiments that bad literature gets written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-with-noble-sentiments-that-bad-literature-gets-written/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“C'est dans l'extraordinaire que je me sens le plus naturel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/c-est-dans-l-extraordinaire-que-je-me-sens-le-plus-naturel/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Understanding is the beginning of approving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/understanding-is-the-beginning-of-approving/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) [Explore all 304 Andre Gide quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## More Another man quotes > [ Next came the Patent laws. 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Willow started out of her daydreaming and glanced up from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mcpherren/if-you-aren-t-in-love-willow-vaughn-then-my-name-isn-t-miriam-brigham/) [Charlotte McPherren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mcpherren/) > [“One man accomplishment Is another mans failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-sargent/one-man-accomplishment-is-another-mans-failure/) Anthony Sargent > [“Hell, I bet there's another man right now on the other side of this planet, standing in the pouring rain, fighting desperately for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-montes/hell-i-bet-there-s-another-man-right-now-on-the-other-side-of-this/) EL Montes > [The perception of what we as professors provide has changed. Constant and demanding e-mails are just another manifestation of what our society has become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-payne/the-perception-of-what-we-as-professors-provide-has-changed-constant/) [Dan Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-payne/) > [Fighting, to me, seems barbaric. I don't really like it. 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