--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: RELATIVITY HELPS US make decisions in…" description: "\"“RELATIVITY HELPS US make decisions in life. But it can also make us downright miserable. Why? Because jealousy and envy spring from comparing our lot ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/dan-ariely-1899_envy_relativity-helps-us-make-decisions-in-li_1980782.jpg" --- # RELATIVITY HELPS US make decisions in life. But it can… ![“RELATIVITY HELPS US make decisions in life. But it can also make us downright miserable. Why? Because jealousy and envy spring from comparing our lot in life with that of others. It” quote by Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/dan-ariely-1899_envy_relativity-helps-us-make-decisions-in-li_1980782.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/dan-ariely-1899_envy_relativity-helps-us-make-decisions-in-li_1980782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/dan-ariely-1899_envy_relativity-helps-us-make-decisions-in-li_1980782.jpg) > ““RELATIVITY HELPS US make decisions in life. But it can also make us downright miserable. Why? Because jealousy and envy spring from comparing our lot in life with that of others. It”” [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relativity in decision‑making can cause distress when we compare ourselves to others, fueling jealousy and envy. **In simple terms:** Comparing yourself to others can cause misery. Key Takeaway Avoid harmful comparisons. Themes psychology decision‑making emotions Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal finance - career choices - relationship decisions Key Concepts relativity social comparison envy Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure success for yourself? - What criteria can replace others’ achievements? A Different Perspective Comparison can overlook personal values and context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decisions In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions-in-life/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Jealousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy/) [Jealousy and envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy-and-envy/) [Jealousy envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy-envy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Relativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relativity/) [Relativity Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relativity-helps-3380670/) ## Related quotes > [Make an enemy of jealousy and envy. As fast and soon as you can…. The art world is high school with money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/make-an-enemy-of-jealousy-and-envy-as-fast-and-soon-as-you-can-the/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [What is envy? It is nothing but passive jealousy. Maybe jealousy is too strong a phenomenon; envy is a little passive. The difference may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/what-is-envy-it-is-nothing-but-passive-jealousy-maybe-jealousy-is-too/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“So, You’re Rooting for Everybody Black, Right? Yeah right! Some of my Brothas and Sistas be straight up frontin’ and lying to themselves. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lahart/so-you-re-rooting-for-everybody-black-right-yeah-right-some-of-my/) [Stephanie Lahart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lahart/) > [Jealousy is the result of one's lack of self-confidence, self-worth, and self-acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-azevedo/jealousy-is-the-result-of-one-s-lack-of-self-confidence-self-worth/) [Sasha Azevedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-azevedo/) > [Drop envy and jealousy, otherwise there is no possibility - because love cannot exist where envy and jealousies exist. Then your search is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/drop-envy-and-jealousy-otherwise-there-is-no-possibility-because-love-2/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-james/then-you-will-be-the-one-others-envy-and-you-can-remember-the-pain/) [Jennifer James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-james/) > [Jealousy is the tribute which mediocrity pays to genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/jealousy-is-the-tribute-which-mediocrity-pays-to-genius/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [One of the problems when you become successful is that jealousy and envy inevitably follow. There are people - I categorize them as life's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/one-of-the-problems-when-you-become-successful-is-that-jealousy-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock The meat it feeds on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-beware-my-lord-of-jealousy-it-is-the-green-ey-d-monster-which-doth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Respect kindly all religions that teach loving kindness, and have no respect for envy and jealousy. Never follow hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jetsunma-ahkon-lhamo/respect-kindly-all-religions-that-teach-loving-kindness-and-have-no/) [Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jetsunma-ahkon-lhamo/) > [I'm emotionless, yet I breathe jealousy and envy People kill for me or die to defend me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-jones/i-m-emotionless-yet-i-breathe-jealousy-and-envy-people-kill-for-me-or/) [Kirk Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-jones/) > [Drop envy and jealousy, otherwise there is no possibility , because love cannot exist where envy and jealousies exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/drop-envy-and-jealousy-otherwise-there-is-no-possibility-because-love/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The soul of the world is nourished by people's Happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-soul-of-the-world-is-nourished-by-people-s-happiness/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Negative states of mind, such as anger, resentment, fear, envy, and jealousy, are products of the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/negative-states-of-mind-such-as-anger-resentment-fear-envy-and/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Drop jealousy and envy, for they make you ugly. Be loving, be accepting, and most of all... be happy just the way you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/drop-jealousy-and-envy-for-they-make-you-ugly-be-loving-be-accepting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Dan Ariely > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [ “\[..\] we human beings are ready and willing to steal something that does not explicitly reference monetary value - that is, something that lacks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/we-human-beings-are-ready-and-willing-to-steal-something-that-does/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Contrafreeloading,” a term coined by the animal psychologist Glen Jensen, refers to the finding that many animals prefer to earn food rather than simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/contrafreeloading-a-term-coined-by-the-animal-psychologist-glen/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [One of the big lessons from behavioral economics is that we make decisions as a function of the environment that we're in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-big-lessons-from-behavioral-economics-is-that-we-make/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Not all debt is bad. From time to time we should get into debt when there's a good reason for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/not-all-debt-is-bad-from-time-to-time-we-should-get-into-debt-when/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“This result suggests that cheating is not driven by concerns about standing out. Rather, it shows that our sense of our own morality is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/this-result-suggests-that-cheating-is-not-driven-by-concerns-about/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“ONE OF THE main differences between standard and behavioral economics involves this concept of “free lunches.” According to the assumptions of standard economics, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-main-differences-between-standard-and-behavioral-economics/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Money is all about opportunity cost. Every time you spend on something, that's something you can't spend on something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/money-is-all-about-opportunity-cost-every-time-you-spend-on-something/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [The people that lend you money basically give you an answer based on the risk that they are willing to take. But just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-people-that-lend-you-money-basically-give-you-an-answer-based-on/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Upton Sinclair once noted, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/upton-sinclair-once-noted-it-is-difficult-to-get-a-man-to-understand/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If you get people to feel that they are putting something, that they are creating it and so on, their love for the project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-get-people-to-feel-that-they-are-putting-something-that-they/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If I gave you now, $10 as a gift, how happy would you be? Would you be happy, is the marginal $10, the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-i-gave-you-now-10-as-a-gift-how-happy-would-you-be-would-you-be/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Imagine you have six loans, small to huge. People want to close loans and because of that, they try to pay off the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/imagine-you-have-six-loans-small-to-huge-people-want-to-close-loans/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the life of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxster-and-buying-a-toyota-prius/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) [Explore all 198 Dan Ariely quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## 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": "“RELATIVITY HELPS US make decisions in life. But it can also make us downright miserable. Why? Because jealousy and envy spring from comparing our lot in life with that of others. 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