--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more…" description: "\"Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than anger, because it involves the thought that other people enjoy the good things of life which the e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/martha-nussbaum-4759_anger_envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more_1787531.jpg" --- # Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than… ![“Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than anger, because it involves the thought that other people enjoy the good things of life which the envier can't hope to attain through hard work and emulation.” quote by Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/martha-nussbaum-4759_anger_envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more_1787531.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/martha-nussbaum-4759_anger_envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more_1787531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/martha-nussbaum-4759_anger_envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more_1787531.jpg) > “Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than anger, because it involves the thought that other people enjoy the good things of life which the envier can't hope to attain through hard work and emulation.” [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Envy, driven by fear, can be more harmful than anger because it fixates on others' successes that seem unattainable without effort. **In simple terms:** Envy can be worse than anger when it stems from fear of others' success. Key Takeaway Recognize fear‑based envy and focus on personal effort. Themes envy fear comparison justice Mood anxious reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - workplace competition - social media scrolling - family gatherings - academic settings Key Concepts philosophy ethics human emotions Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape your envy? - Can you turn envy into constructive ambition? A Different Perspective Envy may also motivate self‑improvement if reframed, but fear can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [“Anger always involves projection of separation, which must ultimately be accepted as one's own responsibility, rather than being blamed on others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foundation-for-inner-peace/anger-always-involves-projection-of-separation-which-must-ultimately/) [Foundation for Inner Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foundation-for-inner-peace/) > [Yes, Clay Matthews has a long, golden, Fabio-esque flowing mane that most women would chick-slap someone for. 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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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“Is it not strange that the more someone has, the less he feels he has? 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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/) > [“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/) > [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/) ## More by Martha Nussbaum > [I worked among many famous philosophers, and I tried to observe how they treated students. I knew which ones I wanted to be like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-worked-among-many-famous-philosophers-and-i-tried-to-observe-how/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [All of us, whether we are ignorant of philosophy or professors of philosophy, find it easier to follow dogma than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/all-of-us-whether-we-are-ignorant-of-philosophy-or-professors-of/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [I think Americans did learn that you just are not going to be able to live well if you subordinate people on the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-think-americans-did-learn-that-you-just-are-not-going-to-be-able-to/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [I wish a person with a record of competence such as Nitish Kumar would get a chance to lead India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-wish-a-person-with-a-record-of-competence-such-as-nitish-kumar/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [I wouldn't express anything without being very thoughtful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/i-wouldn-t-express-anything-without-being-very-thoughtful/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [When I was four I joined a group of girls who were talking about their party dresses. I thought they were imagining, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/when-i-was-four-i-joined-a-group-of-girls-who-were-talking-about/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [There were several men who had blazed the trail for talking about emotions in philosophy; otherwise my work would have had even more opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/there-were-several-men-who-had-blazed-the-trail-for-talking-about/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [Emotions aren't just mindless urges; they contain thoughts about matters of importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/emotions-aren-t-just-mindless-urges-they-contain-thoughts-about/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [If you've been betrayed by a spouse or a partner, it's much easier to focus on causing that person pain than it is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/if-you-ve-been-betrayed-by-a-spouse-or-a-partner-it-s-much-easier-to/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [People - and I think this is particularly true of Americans - don't like to be passive. They like to seize control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/people-and-i-think-this-is-particularly-true-of-americans-don-t-like/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [Fear and monarchy pair nicely. But democracy means you have to work with people you may not like but you must still believe are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/fear-and-monarchy-pair-nicely-but-democracy-means-you-have-to-work/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [You have to connect your work to what people are doing. A good way is to construct a bridge between theory and practice -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/you-have-to-connect-your-work-to-what-people-are-doing-a-good-way-is/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [You can't have a democracy when people don't learn to put themselves in the shoes of another person, who can't think what their policies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/you-can-t-have-a-democracy-when-people-don-t-learn-to-put-themselves/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [Every time I undress in the locker room of my gym, I see women bearing the scars of liposuction, tummy tucks, breast implants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/every-time-i-undress-in-the-locker-room-of-my-gym-i-see-women-bearing/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [The U.S. has always understood itself to be united around political principles and not around culture, whereas the nations of Europe have a much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/the-u-s-has-always-understood-itself-to-be-united-around-political/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) [Explore all 106 Martha Nussbaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) ## More Anger quotes > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [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/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [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/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than anger, because it involves the thought that other people enjoy the good things of life which the envier can't hope to attain through hard work and emulation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martha Nussbaum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more-toxic-than-anger-because-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more-toxic-than-anger-because-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/martha-nussbaum-4759_anger_envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more_1787531.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/martha-nussbaum-4759_anger_envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more_1787531.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/martha-nussbaum-4759_anger_envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more_1787531.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Envy, propelled by fear, can be even more toxic than anger, because it involves the thought that other…” — Martha Nussbaum", "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": "Martha Nussbaum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Envy, propelled by fear, can be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more-toxic-than-anger-because-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/envy-propelled-by-fear-can-be-even-more-toxic-than-anger-because-it/#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 } } ] } ```