---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To cure jealousy is to see it for what it…"
description: "\"To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.\" — Joan Didion"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/joan-didion-497_dissatisfaction_to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-i_2791788.jpg"
---

#  To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a…

![“To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.” quote by Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/joan-didion-497_dissatisfaction_to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-i_2791788.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/joan-didion-497_dissatisfaction_to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-i_2791788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/joan-didion-497_dissatisfaction_to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-i_2791788.jpg)

> “To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.”

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

## About This Quote

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

Recognizing jealousy reveals it stems from personal dissatisfaction rather than external causes.

**In simple terms:** Jealousy shows inner lack of self‑satisfaction.

Key Takeaway

Address self‑esteem to reduce jealousy.

Themes

self‑awareness emotional health personal growth

Mood

introspective thoughtful

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- relationship counseling
- personal development
- mindfulness practice

Key Concepts

psychology self‑esteem reflection

Questions to Reflect On

- What unmet need fuels your jealousy?
- How can you nurture self‑contentment?

A Different Perspective

Jealousy can also signal legitimate concerns about fairness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Jealousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/)

## Related quotes

> [To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self, an impossible claim that one should be at once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-it-is-a-dissatisfaction-with/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [... dissatisfaction with one's self and dissatisfaction with the world - is necessary - it is one of the prime things that keeps the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-john-laughlin/dissatisfaction-with-one-s-self-and-dissatisfaction-with-the-world-is/)

[Clarence John Laughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-john-laughlin/)

> [“Go and do a good turn for that person of whom you are jealous. That is the way to cure jealousy; it will kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-l-moody/go-and-do-a-good-turn-for-that-person-of-whom-you-are-jealous-that-is/)

[D.L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-l-moody/)

> [“The source of every disobedience, indifference, and passion is self-satisfaction. The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction with one’s self. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-ata-illah/the-source-of-every-disobedience-indifference-and-passion-is-self/)

Ibn Ata Illah

> [“I sat there on that Wednesday evening in my pokey fucking living room, looked at myself on the TV screen being a massive, odious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rhodes/i-sat-there-on-that-wednesday-evening-in-my-pokey-fucking-living-room/)

[James Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rhodes/)

> [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [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/)

> [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [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/)

> [One of the most persistent of all delusions is the conviction that the source of our dissatisfaction lies outside ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-alan-wallace/one-of-the-most-persistent-of-all-delusions-is-the-conviction-that/)

[B. Alan Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-alan-wallace/)

> [“In my view, dissatisfaction is implicit in the fabric of consumerism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/in-my-view-dissatisfaction-is-implicit-in-the-fabric-of-consumerism/)

[Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/)

> [“Murray said, 'I don't trust anybody's nostalgia but my own. Nostalgia is a product of dissatisfaction and rage. It´s a settling of grievances between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/murray-said-i-don-t-trust-anybody-s-nostalgia-but-my-own-nostalgia-is/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/you-develop-an-instant-global-consciousness-a-people-orientation-an/)

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

> [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [When you look at yourself and feel dissatisfaction about any part of you, you will continue to attract feelings of dissatisfaction, because the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/when-you-look-at-yourself-and-feel-dissatisfaction-about-any-part-of/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

## More by Joan Didion

> [To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-shift-the-structure-of-a-sentence-alters-the-meaning-of-that/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [Style is character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/style-is-character/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [California is a place in which a boom mentality and a sense of Chekhovian loss meet in uneasy suspension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/california-is-a-place-in-which-a-boom-mentality-and-a-sense-of/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“I went because I was interested in the alchemy of issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-went-because-i-was-interested-in-the-alchemy-of-issues/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“Why did I write it down? In order to remember, of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to remember? How much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/why-did-i-write-it-down-in-order-to-remember-of-course-but-exactly/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [I no longer want reminders of what was, what got broken, what got lost, what got wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-no-longer-want-reminders-of-what-was-what-got-broken-what-got-lost/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [My mother 'gave teas' the way other mothers breathed. Her own mother 'gave teas.' All of their friends 'gave teas,' each involving butter cookies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/my-mother-gave-teas-the-way-other-mothers-breathed-her-own-mother/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [I'm not very interested in people. I recognize it in myself - there is a basic indifference toward people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-m-not-very-interested-in-people-i-recognize-it-in-myself-there-is-a/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“Was there ever in anyone's life span a point free in time, devoid of memory, a point when choice was any more than sum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/was-there-ever-in-anyone-s-life-span-a-point-free-in-time-devoid-of/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“Research to date has shown that, like many other stressors, grief frequently leads to changes in the endocrine, immune, autonomic nervous, and cardiovascular systems;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/research-to-date-has-shown-that-like-many-other-stressors-grief/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“By the end of the week she was thinking constantly about where her body stopped and the air began about the exact point in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/by-the-end-of-the-week-she-was-thinking-constantly-about-where-her/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [“I just can't see the upside in this," I heard myself say by way of explanation. Later he said that if John had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-just-can-t-see-the-upside-in-this-i-heard-myself-say-by-way-of/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [ I read so ravenously that I would read through whole categories. I was crazy about reading biographies. \[...\] I think biographies are very urgent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-through-whole-categories-i-was/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [To those of us who remained committed mainly to the exploration of moral distinctions and ambiguities, the feminist analysis may have seemed a particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-those-of-us-who-remained-committed-mainly-to-the-exploration-of/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

[Explore all 515 Joan Didion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

## More Dissatisfaction quotes

> [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/you-develop-an-instant-global-consciousness-a-people-orientation-an/)

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

> [“Murray said, 'I don't trust anybody's nostalgia but my own. Nostalgia is a product of dissatisfaction and rage. It´s a settling of grievances between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/murray-said-i-don-t-trust-anybody-s-nostalgia-but-my-own-nostalgia-is/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“In my view, dissatisfaction is implicit in the fabric of consumerism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-bruno/in-my-view-dissatisfaction-is-implicit-in-the-fabric-of-consumerism/)

[Dave Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-bruno/)

> [When you look at yourself and feel dissatisfaction about any part of you, you will continue to attract feelings of dissatisfaction, because the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/when-you-look-at-yourself-and-feel-dissatisfaction-about-any-part-of/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [One of the most persistent of all delusions is the conviction that the source of our dissatisfaction lies outside ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-alan-wallace/one-of-the-most-persistent-of-all-delusions-is-the-conviction-that/)

[B. Alan Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-alan-wallace/)

> [A moment of complete happiness never occurs in the creation of a work of art. The promise of it is felt in the act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucian-freud/a-moment-of-complete-happiness-never-occurs-in-the-creation-of-a-work/)

[Lucian Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucian-freud/)

> [So Bush certainly wasn't the greatest, and Obama has not done the job. And he's created a lot of disincentive. He's created a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/so-bush-certainly-wasn-t-the-greatest-and-obama-has-not-done-the-job/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The idiot who praises, with enthusiastic tone, All centuries but this, and every country but his own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-gilbert/the-idiot-who-praises-with-enthusiastic-tone-all-centuries-but-this/)

[W. S. Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-gilbert/)

> [It is not the pursuit of greater and greater states of happiness and bliss that leads to enlightenment, but the yearning for Reality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/it-is-not-the-pursuit-of-greater-and-greater-states-of-happiness-and/)

[Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/)

> [We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-will-not-be-satisfied-until-justice-rolls-down-like-waters/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [If people have some sort of yearning, dissatisfaction or some itching irritability, then it might because they aren't looking in the right direction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/if-people-have-some-sort-of-yearning-dissatisfaction-or-some-itching/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [I have career ADD, he says. I have career dissatisfaction. Even as a young kid, I'd have that. I'd get really passionate about something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-consuelos/i-have-career-add-he-says-i-have-career-dissatisfaction-even-as-a/)

[Mark Consuelos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-consuelos/)

> [As strange as it sounds, meditation may reveal that we are happier than we thought we were. We may discover that ancient conditioning rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-nisker/as-strange-as-it-sounds-meditation-may-reveal-that-we-are-happier/)

[Wes Nisker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-nisker/)

> [The achievement of excellence can only occur if the organization promotes a culture of creative dissatisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-miller/the-achievement-of-excellence-can-only-occur-if-the-organization/)

Lawrence M. Miller

Browse all 290 Dissatisfaction quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joan Didion"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-it-is-a-dissatisfaction-with-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dissatisfaction"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-it-is-a-dissatisfaction-with-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/joan-didion-497_dissatisfaction_to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-i_2791788.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/joan-didion-497_dissatisfaction_to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-i_2791788.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/joan-didion-497_dissatisfaction_to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-i_2791788.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.” — Joan Didion",
                "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": "Joan Didion",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "To cure jealousy is to see...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-it-is-a-dissatisfaction-with-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-cure-jealousy-is-to-see-it-for-what-it-is-a-dissatisfaction-with-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
