---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his…"
description: "\"“Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his soul drop by drop, like a poison that tainted all his pleasures and made his life hateful.”\" — Guy de Maupassant"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/guy-de-maupassant-1364_bitter_envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul_1956988.jpg"
---

#  Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his soul drop by drop…

![“Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his soul drop by drop, like a poison that tainted all his pleasures and made his life hateful.” quote by Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/guy-de-maupassant-1364_bitter_envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul_1956988.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/guy-de-maupassant-1364_bitter_envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul_1956988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/guy-de-maupassant-1364_bitter_envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul_1956988.jpg)

> ““Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his soul drop by drop, like a poison that tainted all his pleasures and made his life hateful.””

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

## About This Quote

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

A character is consumed by envy, which poisons his joy and makes his life miserable.

**In simple terms:** Envy destroys happiness and poisons life.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and curb envy to protect wellbeing.

Themes

envy psychology human nature suffering

Mood

melancholic cautionary

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- workplace competition
- family dynamics
- mental health counseling

Key Concepts

negative emotion self‑destruction literary tragedy

Questions to Reflect On

- What triggers envy in your life?
- How can you transform envy into motivation?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex emotions to a single cause.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-sorge/but-if-you-have-bitter-envy-and-self-seeking-in-your-hearts-do-not/)

[Bob Sorge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-sorge/)

> [The notion of looking on at life has always been hateful to me. What am I if I am not a participant? In order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/the-notion-of-looking-on-at-life-has-always-been-hateful-to-me-what/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [“Do you really enjoy living a life that's so hateful? 'Cause there's a hole where your soul should be, you're losing control of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-allen/do-you-really-enjoy-living-a-life-that-s-so-hateful-cause-there-s-a/)

[Lily Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-allen/)

> [As for himself, however hateful life was, it was hateful in a home and not in the gutter. Many Americans hated their homes. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/as-for-himself-however-hateful-life-was-it-was-hateful-in-a-home-and/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [“Beware of those who steer you away from your heart’s true happiness. It would make them happy to see you steer yourself right next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/beware-of-those-who-steer-you-away-from-your-heart-s-true-happiness/)

[Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/)

> [Life is too bitter already, without territories and wars and noble feuds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-bitter-already-without-territories-and-wars-and-noble/)

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

> [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [“I doubt taking in a sullen, bitter, teenage girl with more issues than National Geographic is at the center of the vision board for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-doubt-taking-in-a-sullen-bitter-teenage-girl-with-more-issues-than/)

[Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/)

> [One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/one-may-have-been-a-fool-but-there-s-no-foolishness-like-being-bitter/)

[Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/)

[Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/)

> [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/)

[Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/)

> [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/)

[Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/)

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

## More by Guy de Maupassant

> [“Because it is useless, and I tell them so at once. If you had confessed your fears to me sooner, I would have reassured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/because-it-is-useless-and-i-tell-them-so-at-once-if-you-had-confessed/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [A legal kiss is never as good as stolen one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/a-legal-kiss-is-never-as-good-as-stolen-one/)

[Guy De Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [“Killing is decreed by law but nature loves eternal youth. Whatever she does, however unconscious and unfeeling the act, she seems to cry out:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/killing-is-decreed-by-law-but-nature-loves-eternal-youth-whatever-she/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [There are some delightful places in this world which have a sensual charm for the eyes. One loves them with a physical love. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/there-are-some-delightful-places-in-this-world-which-have-a-sensual/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [A lawful kiss is never worth as much as a stolen one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/a-lawful-kiss-is-never-worth-as-much-as-a-stolen-one/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [“There were some children round him playing in the dust on the paths. They had long fair hair, and with very earnest faces and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/there-were-some-children-round-him-playing-in-the-dust-on-the-paths/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [“When we are young, our mornings are triumphant!” Then”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/when-we-are-young-our-mornings-are-triumphant-then/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [“She was simple, not being able to adorn herself, but she was unhappy, as one out of her class; for women belong to no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/she-was-simple-not-being-able-to-adorn-herself-but-she-was-unhappy-as/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [Whatever you want to say, there is only one word to express it, only one verb to give it movement, only one adjective to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/whatever-you-want-to-say-there-is-only-one-word-to-express-it-only/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [The great artists are those who impose their personal vision upon humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/the-great-artists-are-those-who-impose-their-personal-vision-upon/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [“How fathomless the mystery of the Unseen is! We cannot plumb its depths with our feeble senses - with eyes which cannot see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/how-fathomless-the-mystery-of-the-unseen-is-we-cannot-plumb-its/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [“‟Whatever we may do or attempt, despite the embrace and transports of love, the hunger of the lips, we are always alone. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/whatever-we-may-do-or-attempt-despite-the-embrace-and-transports-of/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [She was the temptress who had ensnared the first man, and who still continued her work at damnation; she was the being who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/she-was-the-temptress-who-had-ensnared-the-first-man-and-who-still/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [Since governments take the right of death over their people, it is not astonishing if the people should sometimes take the right of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/since-governments-take-the-right-of-death-over-their-people-it-is-not/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

> [“For some years he had felt weighing on him the burden of loneliness which sometimes overwhelms old bachelors. He had been strong, active and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/for-some-years-he-had-felt-weighing-on-him-the-burden-of-loneliness/)

[Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

[Explore all 189 Guy de Maupassant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/)

## More Bitter quotes

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/)

[Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/)

> [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/)

[Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/)

> [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/)

[Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/)

> [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/one-may-have-been-a-fool-but-there-s-no-foolishness-like-being-bitter/)

[Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/)

> [“I doubt taking in a sullen, bitter, teenage girl with more issues than National Geographic is at the center of the vision board for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/i-doubt-taking-in-a-sullen-bitter-teenage-girl-with-more-issues-than/)

[Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/)

> [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [Life is too bitter already, without territories and wars and noble feuds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-too-bitter-already-without-territories-and-wars-and-noble/)

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

> [With every interview you feel like you lose a piece of yourself, and with every bad review you become just that little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-march/with-every-interview-you-feel-like-you-lose-a-piece-of-yourself-and/)

[Jane March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-march/)

> [“Without the bitter, the sweet ain’t as sweet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-the-bitter-the-sweet-ain-t-as-sweet/)

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

> [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/)

[Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/)

> [“In these days in which we live, when existence has become a thing of infinite complexity and fate, if it slips us a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/in-these-days-in-which-we-live-when-existence-has-become-a-thing-of/)

[P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/)

> [If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-a-sudden-jar-can-cause-me-to-speak-an-impatient-unloving-word-then/)

[Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/)

Browse all 1,923 Bitter quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his soul drop by drop, like a poison that tainted all his pleasures and made his life hateful.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Guy de Maupassant"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul-drop-by-drop-like-a-poison/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bitter"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul-drop-by-drop-like-a-poison/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/guy-de-maupassant-1364_bitter_envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul_1956988.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/guy-de-maupassant-1364_bitter_envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul_1956988.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/guy-de-maupassant-1364_bitter_envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul_1956988.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his soul drop by drop, like a poison that tainted all his pleasures and…” — Guy de Maupassant",
                "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": "Guy de Maupassant",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Envy, bitter envy, was permeating his...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul-drop-by-drop-like-a-poison/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/envy-bitter-envy-was-permeating-his-soul-drop-by-drop-like-a-poison/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
