--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People say that envy is a deadly sin, but…" description: "\"People say that envy is a deadly sin, but I disagree. I love watching a person do something that I can't. I find it to be incredibly motivating.\" — Jon..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/jonathan-sadowski-39783_deadly-sins_people-say-that-envy-is-a-deadly-sin-but_180664.jpg" --- # People say that envy is a deadly sin, but I disagree. I… ![“People say that envy is a deadly sin, but I disagree. I love watching a person do something that I can't. I find it to be incredibly motivating.” quote by Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/jonathan-sadowski-39783_deadly-sins_people-say-that-envy-is-a-deadly-sin-but_180664.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/jonathan-sadowski-39783_deadly-sins_people-say-that-envy-is-a-deadly-sin-but_180664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/jonathan-sadowski-39783_deadly-sins_people-say-that-envy-is-a-deadly-sin-but_180664.jpg) > “People say that envy is a deadly sin, but I disagree. I love watching a person do something that I can't. I find it to be incredibly motivating.” [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Envy can be reframed as admiration that fuels personal growth rather than a destructive feeling. **In simple terms:** Seeing others succeed can inspire you. Key Takeaway Use others' achievements as motivation. Themes motivation self-improvement perspective Mood inspired reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - skill learning - creative projects - fitness goals Key Concepts social comparison intrinsic drive Questions to Reflect On - How can you channel admiration into action? - What boundaries keep admiration healthy? A Different Perspective Envy may still cause resentment if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deadly sins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadly-sins/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Jealousy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jealousy/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) ## Related quotes > [“...envy is the one deadly sin that no American can ever admit to...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gruber/envy-is-the-one-deadly-sin-that-no-american-can-ever-admit-to/) [Michael Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gruber/) > [Envy is a deadly sin!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-adornetto/envy-is-a-deadly-sin/) [Alexandra Adornetto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-adornetto/) > [“envy is the only deadly sin that's no fun for the sinner”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaveh-akbar/envy-is-the-only-deadly-sin-that-s-no-fun-for-the-sinner/) Kaveh Akbar > [At gambling, the deadly sin is to mistake bad play for bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/at-gambling-the-deadly-sin-is-to-mistake-bad-play-for-bad-luck/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Of all deadly sins, this is the most deadly, namely, that any one should think he is not guilty of a damnable and deadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/of-all-deadly-sins-this-is-the-most-deadly-namely-that-any-one-should/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [He grinned. “I was trying to remember all the deadly sins the other day,” he said. “Greed,envy, gluttony, irony, pedantry…” “I’m pretty sure irony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-grinned-i-was-trying-to-remember-all-the-deadly-sins-the-other-day/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [People always ask me: How are you? I say I'm the envy of millions. I've been a lucky guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-deyoung/people-always-ask-me-how-are-you-i-say-i-m-the-envy-of-millions-i-ve/) [Dennis DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-deyoung/) > [“Perhaps his next task should be to concoct an eighth deadly sin. Or he could work toward finding even a dozen. The devil knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-enoch/perhaps-his-next-task-should-be-to-concoct-an-eighth-deadly-sin-or-he/) [Suzanne Enoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-enoch/) > [Avarice is a deadly sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-patrick/avarice-is-a-deadly-sin/) [Saint Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-patrick/) > [It's another sin. Worse than all the other ones, which are immediate, violent and hot...It's the eighth deadly sin. The one God left out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/it-s-another-sin-worse-than-all-the-other-ones-which-are-immediate/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [“It's not pride I'm feeling. It's another sin. Worse than all the other ones, which are immediate, violent, and hot. This one sits inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/it-s-not-pride-i-m-feeling-it-s-another-sin-worse-than-all-the-other/) [Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/) > [I would have already been dead because I'm too guilty of vanity.. a deadly sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rochelle-morrison/i-would-have-already-been-dead-because-i-m-too-guilty-of-vanity-a/) [Rochelle Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rochelle-morrison/) > [Walking is a virtue, tourism is a deadly sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-chatwin/walking-is-a-virtue-tourism-is-a-deadly-sin/) [Bruce Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-chatwin/) > [It was the seventh deadly sin. My children weren't righteous. They stumbled because I was evil. The way I was raising them they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-yates/it-was-the-seventh-deadly-sin-my-children-weren-t-righteous-they/) Andrea Yates > [The only deadly sin I know is cynicism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-l-stimson/the-only-deadly-sin-i-know-is-cynicism/) [Henry L. Stimson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-l-stimson/) ## More by Jonathan Sadowski > [I think being vulnerable paves the way for humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/i-think-being-vulnerable-paves-the-way-for-humility/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [Do the right thing. Not just when it's convenient for you, but all the time. Words to live by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/do-the-right-thing-not-just-when-it-s-convenient-for-you-but-all-the/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [Somewhere along the line, I conditioned myself to be a quick thinker. I take a step back and try to assess the situation, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/somewhere-along-the-line-i-conditioned-myself-to-be-a-quick-thinker-i/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [I honestly have never been a guy to panic or freak out in the middle of a crisis. Growing up in the south side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/i-honestly-have-never-been-a-guy-to-panic-or-freak-out-in-the-middle/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [The one thing that I love about the live audience is the energy level. Like, from the minute of cast introductions, it's just constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/the-one-thing-that-i-love-about-the-live-audience-is-the-energy-level/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [Be confident, but allow yourself to be vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/be-confident-but-allow-yourself-to-be-vulnerable/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [When I watch a singer perform, or an athlete, I can't help but be driven to be the best I can be at my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/when-i-watch-a-singer-perform-or-an-athlete-i-can-t-help-but-be/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [I chose to enter a profession that is not easy. To be able to say that I am doing what I love for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/i-chose-to-enter-a-profession-that-is-not-easy-to-be-able-to-say-that/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [Healing is a process. Sometimes it's quick, and other times it's gruelingly long. You're the only person who knows when it's time to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/healing-is-a-process-sometimes-it-s-quick-and-other-times-it-s/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) > [Life is all about experiencing the full range of emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/life-is-all-about-experiencing-the-full-range-of-emotions/) [Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) [Explore all 11 Jonathan Sadowski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/) ## More Deadly sins quotes > [“Of the seven deadly sins, surely it is pride that most afflicts the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-surely-it-is-pride-that-most-afflicts-the/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-anger-is-possibly-the-most-fun-to-lick-your/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“I you ask me about the monks, I speak from experience, not prejudice, and though I have no doubt that some foundations are well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/i-you-ask-me-about-the-monks-i-speak-from-experience-not-prejudice/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“In Dante’s philosophy, lust is a misplaced love, but a kind of love nonetheless. For this reason, it is the least evil of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/in-dante-s-philosophy-lust-is-a-misplaced-love-but-a-kind-of-love/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [Go to hell, Willy, our souls eat poetry, but one has seven deadly sins to feed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/go-to-hell-willy-our-souls-eat-poetry-but-one-has-seven-deadly-sins/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Satanists are encouraged to indulge in the seven deadly sins, as they need hurt no one; they were only invented by the Christian Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/satanists-are-encouraged-to-indulge-in-the-seven-deadly-sins-as-they/) [Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/) > [“From the evil seed of lust all other deadly sins had sprung forth: pride in himself and contempt of others, covetousness in using money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/from-the-evil-seed-of-lust-all-other-deadly-sins-had-sprung-forth/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Pride is one of the seven deadly sins; but it cannot be the pride of a mother in her children, for that is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/pride-is-one-of-the-seven-deadly-sins-but-it-cannot-be-the-pride-of-a/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I persist in preferring philosophers to rabbis priests imams ayatollahs and mullahs. Rather than trust their theological hocus-pocus I prefer to draw on alternatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-onfray/i-persist-in-preferring-philosophers-to-rabbis-priests-imams/) [Michel Onfray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-onfray/) > [Of the seven deadly sins, anger has long been the one with the best box of costumes. When the guy in the next car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederica-mathewes-green/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-anger-has-long-been-the-one-with-the-best/) [Frederica Mathewes-Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederica-mathewes-green/) > [“From outside the evangelical community, this seems an astonishing confession. Since when is solitude one of the Seven Deadly Sins? But to a fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/from-outside-the-evangelical-community-this-seems-an-astonishing/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Of the seven deadly sins, surely it is pride that most commonly afflicts the gardener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-surely-it-is-pride-that-most-commonly/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-only-envy-is-no-fun-at-all/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [You should always take what I say about religion with a grain of salt, because the 7 deadly sins are more like my seven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/you-should-always-take-what-i-say-about-religion-with-a-grain-of-salt/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [Jealousy is a hell of a thing. There's a reason it's one of the deadly sins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/jealousy-is-a-hell-of-a-thing-there-s-a-reason-it-s-one-of-the-deadly/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) [Browse all 98 Deadly sins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadly-sins/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People say that envy is a deadly sin, but I disagree. I love watching a person do something that I can't. 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