---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With the wise man, what he has does not…"
description: "\"“With the wise man, what he has does not cease to be enjoyable because some one else has something else. Envy, in fact, is one form of vice, partly mor..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/bertrand-russell-69_wisdom_with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-c_2208274.jpg"
---

#  With the wise man, what he has does not cease to be…

![“With the wise man, what he has does not cease to be enjoyable because some one else has something else. Envy, in fact, is one form of vice, partly moral, partly intellectual, which consists in seeing things never in themselves but only in their relations” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/bertrand-russell-69_wisdom_with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-c_2208274.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/bertrand-russell-69_wisdom_with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-c_2208274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/bertrand-russell-69_wisdom_with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-c_2208274.jpg)

> ““With the wise man, what he has does not cease to be enjoyable because some one else has something else. Envy, in fact, is one form of vice, partly moral, partly intellectual, which consists in seeing things never in themselves but only in their relations””

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Envy arises when we value things only by comparison, not by their own merit, making enjoyment dependent on others' possessions.

**In simple terms:** Envy is about comparing, not appreciating.

Key Takeaway

Value things for themselves, not for how they compare.

Themes

envy comparison selfesteem

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical analytical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- workplace dynamics
- social media use
- consumer behavior

Key Concepts

philosophy ethics psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you appreciate what you have without comparison?
- What does true enjoyment look like?

A Different Perspective

Envy can also motivate self-improvement if reframed positively.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Enjoyable Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoyable-envy-4879204/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Envy Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy-fact-1800268/) [Moral Partly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-partly-1296658/) [Partly Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partly-moral-1296657/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-man/)

## Related quotes

> [Envy, in fact, is one form of a vice, partly moral, partly intellectual, which consists in seeing things never in themselves, but only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/envy-in-fact-is-one-form-of-a-vice-partly-moral-partly-intellectual/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Envy ... is one form of a vice, partly moral, partly intellectual, which consists in seeing things never in themselves but only in their relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/envy-is-one-form-of-a-vice-partly-moral-partly-intellectual-which/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [What restrains us from killing is partly fear of punishment, partly moral scruple, and partly what may be described as a sense of humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-restrains-us-from-killing-is-partly-fear-of-punishment-partly/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The wise man thinks about his troubles only when there is some purpose in doing so; at other times he thinks about other things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-wise-man-thinks-about-his-troubles-only-when-there-is-some/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Beggars do not envy millionaires, though of course they will envy other beggars who are more successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/beggars-do-not-envy-millionaires-though-of-course-they-will-envy/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“You are what you believe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/you-are-what-you-believe/)

[Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/)

> [“He told me it was for men of desperate fortunes on one hand, or of aspiring, superior fortune on the other, who when abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/he-told-me-it-was-for-men-of-desperate-fortunes-on-one-hand-or-of/)

[Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/)

> [“He was a wise man who invented God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/he-was-a-wise-man-who-invented-god/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [“I drink beer not to get drunk or because i have stress, i drink beer just because i want to share good ideas with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ntambara-sylvestre-owen-berbason/i-drink-beer-not-to-get-drunk-or-because-i-have-stress-i-drink-beer/)

[Ntambara Sylvestre Owen Berbason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ntambara-sylvestre-owen-berbason/)

> [“A wise man knows how little he knows and upon his death he drinks wisdom from an empty cup.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tarttelin/a-wise-man-knows-how-little-he-knows-and-upon-his-death-he-drinks/)

[John Tarttelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tarttelin/)

> [“A wise man once said nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wise-man-once-said-nothing/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Surely it becomes a wise man, at a time like this, to turn to the pages of prophecy and to inquire what is yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-lifsey/surely-it-becomes-a-wise-man-at-a-time-like-this-to-turn-to-the-pages/)

[Dalton Lifsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-lifsey/)

> [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/)

[Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/)

> [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/)

[Uncle Arnie Mamath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-arnie-mamath/)

## More by Bertrand Russell

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

[Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

## More Envy quotes

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [“He often remembered his dad's admonition that envy was mental theft. If you coveted another man's possessions, Dad said, then you should be willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/he-often-remembered-his-dad-s-admonition-that-envy-was-mental-theft/)

[Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/)

> [“I don't envy "busy." Busy means having a schedule, not living life. What I really covet is leisure and peace of mind. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/i-don-t-envy-busy-busy-means-having-a-schedule-not-living-life-what-i/)

[Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/)

> [There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one's fellow man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-is-no-sweeter-sound-than-the-crumbling-of-one-s-fellow-man/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“Is it not strange that the more someone has, the less he feels he has? Envy can never be sated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-wheeler/is-it-not-strange-that-the-more-someone-has-the-less-he-feels-he-has/)

[Jeff Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-wheeler/)

> [I avoid envy at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-winkleman/i-avoid-envy-at-all-costs/)

[Claudia Winkleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-winkleman/)

> [Sometimes I envy painters, it is wonderful to remain in front of a bouquet of flowers a whole morning, or even longer. A photographer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edouard-boubat/sometimes-i-envy-painters-it-is-wonderful-to-remain-in-front-of-a/)

[Edouard Boubat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edouard-boubat/)

> [avarice breeds envy, a worm that is always gnawing, letting the avaricious enjoy neither their own nor anyone else's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/avarice-breeds-envy-a-worm-that-is-always-gnawing-letting-the/)

[St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/)

> [“You don’t see someone flying and you begin to bite yourself for not being able to do that. You do what you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-don-t-see-someone-flying-and-you-begin-to-bite-yourself-for-not/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know, Can it be death? And do they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/knowledge-forbidden-suspicious-reasonless-why-should-their-lord-envy/)

[John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/)

> [“Who would have thought you had so many supporters?" she whispered. "Not mine, my love. Yours. I had not a one till you started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-sinclair/who-would-have-thought-you-had-so-many-supporters-she-whispered-not/)

[Michele Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-sinclair/)

> [“Treachery is always a hairy caterpillar bred of a small butterfly called envy, no matter how lofty the principles involved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fazil-iskander/treachery-is-always-a-hairy-caterpillar-bred-of-a-small-butterfly/)

[Fazil Iskander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fazil-iskander/)

> [Yes, Clay Matthews has a long, golden, Fabio-esque flowing mane that most women would chick-slap someone for. And yes, the shiny, beautiful, dark locks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-foudy/yes-clay-matthews-has-a-long-golden-fabio-esque-flowing-mane-that/)

[Julie Foudy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-foudy/)

> [“I have known many true connoisseurs, with excellent tastes that range across the humanities and the culinary arts--and they never fail to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-have-known-many-true-connoisseurs-with-excellent-tastes-that-range/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

[Browse all 2,111 Envy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“With the wise man, what he has does not cease to be enjoyable because some one else has something else. Envy, in fact, is one form of vice, partly moral, partly intellectual, which consists in seeing things never in themselves but only in their relations”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bertrand Russell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-cease-to-be-enjoyable-because/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Envy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-cease-to-be-enjoyable-because/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/bertrand-russell-69_wisdom_with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-c_2208274.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/bertrand-russell-69_wisdom_with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-c_2208274.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/bertrand-russell-69_wisdom_with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-c_2208274.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“With the wise man, what he has does not cease to be enjoyable because some one else has something else…” — Bertrand Russell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bertrand Russell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“With the wise man, what he...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-cease-to-be-enjoyable-because/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/with-the-wise-man-what-he-has-does-not-cease-to-be-enjoyable-because/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
