---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A competitive society is a society of envy."
description: "\"A competitive society is a society of envy.\" — Dorothee Solle"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/dorothee-solle-24665_community_a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-en_2785859.jpg"
---

#  A competitive society is a society of envy.

![“A competitive society is a society of envy.” quote by Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/dorothee-solle-24665_community_a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-en_2785859.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/dorothee-solle-24665_community_a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-en_2785859.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/dorothee-solle-24665_community_a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-en_2785859.jpg)

> “A competitive society is a society of envy.”

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

## About This Quote

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

Competitive societies foster envy among participants.

**In simple terms:** Competition breeds jealousy.

Key Takeaway

Promote collaboration over rivalry.

Themes

competition envy society social dynamics

Mood

critical balanced

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- workplace culture
- education
- community projects
- policy design

Key Concepts

social comparison cooperative models

Questions to Reflect On

- When does competition benefit society?
- How to balance competition with cooperation?

A Different Perspective

Competition can also drive innovation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Competitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Jealousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/)

## Related quotes

> [I have a little theory about that, too. It's clearly envy. It's bringing people down to your size. It's a narcissistic impulse that didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-pinsky/i-have-a-little-theory-about-that-too-it-s-clearly-envy-it-s-bringing/)

[Drew Pinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-pinsky/)

> [In a competitive society, the thing people fear the most is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-purdy/in-a-competitive-society-the-thing-people-fear-the-most-is-love/)

[James Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-purdy/)

> [And as we are - the world is. That is, if we are greedy, envious, competitive, our society will be competitive, envious, greedy, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/and-as-we-are-the-world-is-that-is-if-we-are-greedy-envious/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [We live in a competitive society. To pretend that it is not there is ridiculous. That is how the whole planet is set up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/we-live-in-a-competitive-society-to-pretend-that-it-is-not-there-is/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [“The pursuit of social success, in the form of prestige or power or both, is the most important obstacle in a competitive society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-pursuit-of-social-success-in-the-form-of-prestige-or-power-or-2/)

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

> [There is, in a competitive society, nobody who can exercise even a fraction of the power which a socialist planning board would possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/there-is-in-a-competitive-society-nobody-who-can-exercise-even-a/)

[Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/)

> [“The pursuit of social success, in the form of prestige or power or both, is the most important obstacle to happiness in a competitive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-pursuit-of-social-success-in-the-form-of-prestige-or-power-or/)

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

> [Our task is not to fight old battles, but to show that there is a third way, a way of marrying together an open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/our-task-is-not-to-fight-old-battles-but-to-show-that-there-is-a/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [The fundamental defect of fathers, in our competitive society, is that they want their children to be a credit to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-fundamental-defect-of-fathers-in-our-competitive-society-is-that/)

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

> [We live in a highly competitive society, each of us trying to outdo the other in wealth, in popularity or social prestige, in dress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/we-live-in-a-highly-competitive-society-each-of-us-trying-to-outdo/)

[S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/)

> [A free society is a society in which all traditions have equal rights and equal access to the centers of power. A tradition receives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/a-free-society-is-a-society-in-which-all-traditions-have-equal-rights/)

[Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/)

> [“You belong to society, you give to society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/you-belong-to-society-you-give-to-society/)

[Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/)

> [I'm not interested in the wellbeing of society because society is a big lie. Where is society? I only see individual beings and only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/i-m-not-interested-in-the-wellbeing-of-society-because-society-is-a/)

[Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/)

> [“Before he can remake his society, his society must make him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/before-he-can-remake-his-society-his-society-must-make-him/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [Education should not be fun. You are being brought up into society and society has a way of doing things. It may not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/education-should-not-be-fun-you-are-being-brought-up-into-society-and/)

[Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/)

## More by Dorothee Solle

> [What is important is not what someone is but what he is waiting for. Not the events of life but its possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/what-is-important-is-not-what-someone-is-but-what-he-is-waiting-for/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [To be content with the world as it is is to be dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/to-be-content-with-the-world-as-it-is-is-to-be-dead/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [A language that takes our emotions seriously and gives them real weight in our lives encourages us to think and be and act differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/a-language-that-takes-our-emotions-seriously-and-gives-them-real/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [Religion is made up of unrestrained wishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/religion-is-made-up-of-unrestrained-wishes/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [God has no other hands than ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/god-has-no-other-hands-than-ours/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [God has no other hands than ours. If the sick are to be healed, it is our hands that will heal them. If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/god-has-no-other-hands-than-ours-if-the-sick-are-to-be-healed-it-is/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [“We are afraid of religion because it interprets rather than observance. Religion does not confirm that there are hungry people in the world; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/we-are-afraid-of-religion-because-it-interprets-rather-than/)

[Dorothee Sölle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [With the disappearance of God the Ego moves forward to become the sole divinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/with-the-disappearance-of-god-the-ego-moves-forward-to-become-the/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [The more people anticipate the elimination of suffering the less strength they have actually to oppose it. Whoever deals with his personal suffering only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/the-more-people-anticipate-the-elimination-of-suffering-the-less/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [Our whole life consists of despairing of an answer and seeking an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/our-whole-life-consists-of-despairing-of-an-answer-and-seeking-an/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [Really living like Christ will not mean reward, social recognition, and an assured income, but difficulties, discrimination, solitude, anxiety. Here, too, the basic experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/really-living-like-christ-will-not-mean-reward-social-recognition-and/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/if-my-hands-are-fully-occupied-in-holding-on-to-something-i-can/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [There is no wrong suffering. There is imaginary, sham, feigned, simulated, pretended suffering. But the assertion that someone suffers for the right or wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/there-is-no-wrong-suffering-there-is-imaginary-sham-feigned-simulated/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [All fundamentalist theologians make the ordinances of creation an essential part of creation and absolutize them. Women belong at home, fulfil their life through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/all-fundamentalist-theologians-make-the-ordinances-of-creation-an/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

> [Religion does not confirm that there are hungry people in the world; it interprets the hungry to be our brethren whom we allow to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/religion-does-not-confirm-that-there-are-hungry-people-in-the-world/)

[Dorothee Solle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

[Explore all 23 Dorothee Solle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/)

## More Community quotes

> [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/)

[Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/)

> [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/)

[Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/)

> [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/)

[Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/)

> [The strains and stresses suffered by the individual in society are grounded in the normal functioning of that society (and of the individual!) rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-strains-and-stresses-suffered-by-the-individual-in-society-are/)

[Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/)

> [Hackney gets a bit of a bad rap, but it's the only place I've ever lived that felt like a community. I know my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-horgan/hackney-gets-a-bit-of-a-bad-rap-but-it-s-the-only-place-i-ve-ever/)

[Sharon Horgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-horgan/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/)

[Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/)

> [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/)

[Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/)

> [It rolls off my back. Ridicule doesn't mean anything - even from people you're supposed to wear knee pads around, like the scientific community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-schultz/it-rolls-off-my-back-ridicule-doesn-t-mean-anything-even-from-people/)

[Dwight Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-schultz/)

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/)

[Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/)

> [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/)

Sheila Kamerman

> [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [Perhaps the greatest and least visible form of impoverishment caused by the Corporate State is the destruction of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/perhaps-the-greatest-and-least-visible-form-of-impoverishment-caused/)

[Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/)

[Browse all 13,840 Community quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A competitive society is a society of envy.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dorothee Solle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-envy/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Community"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-envy/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/dorothee-solle-24665_community_a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-en_2785859.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/dorothee-solle-24665_community_a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-en_2785859.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/dorothee-solle-24665_community_a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-en_2785859.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A competitive society is a society of envy.” — Dorothee Solle",
                "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": "Dorothee Solle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-solle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A competitive society is a society...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-envy/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-solle/a-competitive-society-is-a-society-of-envy/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
