65 Jealousy Quotes | Understanding Envy, Love, & Insecurity

It is human nature to feel a sharp, uncomfortable pang in our chest when someone else has something we want, when someone we love shifts their attention elsewhere, or when we see something, perhaps beauty, achievements, positions, or anything we’ve dreamed of. That is the green-eyed monster: jealousy, yearning for what we lack in life. Though it is a complex and often unwelcome emotion, it is undeniably part of being human.

We know being jealous is wrong, but we can’t stop feeling it. If you have such feelings within, you’re not alone in experiencing that green twinge. It is universal; from Shakespearean tragedies to today’s Facebook posts, TikToks, and Instagram stories, jealousy has been a recurring theme that has trapped all of us with it. So there is no question whether we have it or not; it is about how intense our jealousy is.

Jealousy Quotes | Understanding Envy, Love, & Insecurity

To better understand our hidden feelings of jealousy—what it means to feel possessive fear in love, irritation at others’ successes, and how to distinguish between healthy jealousy and harnessing this emotional intensity for self-betterment—this collection of jealousy quotes from wise minds serves as a guide for our journey of self-improvement.

The purpose of exploring these jealousy quotes is to provide insight and guidance.

Validation: To know you’re not the only one who feels this way.

Understanding: To gain insight into the roots and manifestations of jealousy.

Expression: To find the words when they fail you.

Perspective: To see jealousy from different angles—the humorous, the tragic, and the insightful.

You’re Not Alone: Diving into the World of Jealousy Quotes

A touch of jealousy is normal and part of our emotional cocktail, the mix of fear, anger, insecurity, sadness, suspicion, and more. However, when it spirals out of control, a problem arises. The intensity of jealousy determines if it is a typical human response or an exaggerated reaction. Let’s explore where we fit on the jealousy spectrum.

1. “It is never wise to seek or wish for another’s misfortune. If malice or envy were tangible and had a shape, it would be the shape of a boomerang.” — Charley Reese

2. “Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.” — François de La Rochefoucauld

* Credit: All image backgrounds are from Canva.

3. “People throw rocks at things that shine.” – Taylor Swift, Ours

4. “Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour

5. “The truest mark of being born with great qualities is being born without envy.” — François de La Rochefoucauld

6. “Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies.” – Elizabeth Bowen

7. “There is no greater glory than love, nor any greater punishment than jealousy.” – Lope de Vega

8. “Jealousy is a powerful emotion. It can consume you, change you, and make you do things you never thought you were capable of.” – Anonymous

 9. “Jealousy is like a storm in your chest—wild, loud, and hard to calm.” – Anonymous

10. “Jealousy is a disease; love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other or assumes that the greater the love, the greater the jealousy.” – Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

11. “Anger, resentment, and jealousy don’t change the hearts of others—they only change yours.” – Shannon Alder

12. “Jealousy is a blade that cuts both ways—wounding the heart that holds it and the one it targets.” – Anonymous

13. “The envious die not once, but as often as the envied win applause.” – Baltasar Gracián

14. “Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20. Your journey is unique.” – Anonymous

15. “Instead of being jealous, be inspired. What they have, you can achieve too, or something even better suited for you.” – Anonymous

Jealousy Quotes (From Love to Haters)

1. “Jealousy is the heart’s way of screaming, ‘I want that too!’” – Anonymous

2. “We all get jealous; it’s just our soul’s way of saying it cares too much.” – Anonymous

3. “Envy is the shadow that follows desire.” – Zadie Smith, On Beauty (2005)

4. “Oh, what a bitter thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes.” — William Shakespeare, As You Like It

5. “Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.” — Joseph Epstein

6. “The jealous are possessed by a mad devil and a dull spirit at the same time.” — Johann Kaspar Lavater

7. “Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.” – Fulton J. Sheen

8. “The lovesick, the betrayed, and the jealous all smell alike.” – Colette

9. “Envy is the most stupid of vices, for there is no single advantage to be gained from it.” — Honoré de Balzac

Why Do We Feel Jealousy So Intensely? Quotes Exploring Its Seriousness

1. “Jealousy is not a barometer by which the depth of love can be read. It merely records the degree of the lover’s insecurity.” – Margaret Mead

2. “What is jealousy but a reflection of your own insecurities?” – Anonymous

3. “Jealousy is the fear or apprehension of superiority; envy is our uneasiness under it.” – William Shenstone

4. “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” – William Shakespeare, Othello

5. “Jealousy is a spark that can either ignite your drive or burn your peace.” – Anonymous

6. “The weight of jealousy comes from what we tell ourselves we lack.” – Brene Brown, Daring Greatly (2012)

Is Jealousy a Sickness? Quotes That Say “Jealousy is a Disease”

1. “Jealousy…is a mental cancer.” – B.C. Forbes

2. “Jealousy is a kind of civil war in the soul, where judgment and opinion toll the rebellious affections.” – Plutarch

3. “He that is not a little jealous is not in love.” – St. Augustine.

4. “Jealousy is a terrible disease. Get well soon.” – Anonymous

5. “Jealousy is a virus that spreads when we stop believing in ourselves.” – Anonymous

6. “Envy is a fever of the mind, cured only by self-love.” – Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (1923)

7. “Jealousy eats away at your soul like rust on iron.” – Anonymous

Jealousy Kills Quotes

1. “Jealousy, that dragon which slays love under the pretense of keeping it alive.” – Havelock Ellis

2. “Jealousy injures us with itself and support with its pains.” – George Herbert

3. “Envy and jealousy are the crocodiles of the human soul. They destroy, they devour, they devastate.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

4. “Jealousy is the grave of affection.” – Mary Baker Eddy

5. “Like hatred, jealousy is forbidden by the laws of life because it is essentially destructive.” – Alexis Carrel

6. “Don’t let jealousy whisper sweet nothings that lead to bitter endings. #JealousyKills” – Anonymous

7. “Envy kills dreams before they can even take flight.” – Anonymous

8. “Jealousy doesn’t destroy others; it dismantles you.” – Anonymous

Jealousy Quotes for Different Situations

1. “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” – Harold Coffin

2. “Love may be blind, but jealousy has 20/20 vision.” – Anonymous

3. “In jealousy, there is more self-love than love.” – François de La Rochefoucauld, Maxims

4. “Haters don’t really hate you; they hate themselves because you’re a reflection of what they wish to be.” – Yoko Ono

5. “I’m not jealous. I’m just territorially protective of what’s mine.” – Anonymous

6. “Envy is a thief that steals your joy while you’re busy watching others.” – Anonymous

7.  “Jealousy in love is like salt in food—too little is bland, too much is ruin.” – Anonymous

8. “Jealousy is just someone admitting you’re living the life they want.” – Anonymous

9. “I’m not jealous; I’m just practicing for the Grumpy Cat audition.” – Anonymous

Spotting the Green-Eyed Monsters: Jealousy People Quotes

1. “People who are intimidated by you talk about you in hopes that others won’t find you so appealing.” – Anonymous

2. “Jealous people are down-talkers. They pull you down so that they can go up.” – Germany Kent, “You Are What You Tweet”

3. “The venom of jealousy is like a grain of sand in the eye; it makes one see red.” – African Proverb

4. “A jealous person is a person who is resentful of your achievements and blessings. They are unhappy with their own lot in life and project their insecurities onto you.” – Anonymous

5. “Those who are jealous of you are convinced that you have something they don’t. And they’re right. It’s called talent and hard work.” – Anonymous

6. “Jealous people don’t hate you; they hate the mirror you hold up to their flaws.” – Anonymous

7. “Envy is the art of resenting someone for being what you’re too afraid to become.” – Anonymous

8. “A jealous person’s criticism is just their insecurity shouting your name.” – Anonymous

Best Quote for Jealousy

1. “Jealousy is the fear of comparison.” – Max Frisch

2. “Jealousy is a cry of pain, not a sign of love.” – Anonymous

3. “Don’t let jealous people ruin your happiness. They’re jealous because they can’t be you.” – Anonymous

4. “Jealousy is just love and hate at the same time.” – Drake, “Over My Dead Body”

5. “Jealousy is a map that shows you where you fear to go.” – Anonymous

6. “Envy is the price we pay for wanting someone else’s story.” – Glennon Doyle, Untamed (2020)

Quotes on Managing and Overcoming Jealous Feelings

Jealousy is natural; we can’t stop feeling it, but it is important to not let it run wild. The good news is that we can learn to manage, understand, and even overcome destructive jealous feelings through self-awareness, gratitude, and shifting our focus.

1. “The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.” – William Penn

2. “Gratitude is the antidote to jealousy. When you’re grateful for what you have, you’re less likely to covet what others possess.” – Anonymous

3. “He who is not contented with what he has would not be contented with what he would like to have.” – Socrates

4. “To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self.” – Joan Didion, Blue Nights

5. “Jealousy shrinks when you water your own garden.” – Anonymous

6. “The cure for envy is to celebrate your own light instead of dimming someone else’s.” – Anonymous

7. “Jealousy is a signal to focus on your own path, not theirs.” – Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic (2015)

Final Thoughts on Navigating the World of Jealousy

Jealousy, in its many forms, is an undeniable part of the human experience; whether expressed as romantic insecurity or professional envy, it permeates our lives. Before feeling jealous, consider the situations that provoke those feelings.

Remember that everyone has a unique life journey; they may have earned what they have. Take the time to learn their stories, how they arrived at their successes, and understand how you can reach similar goals. Some may be fortunate to have it all; if that’s not your situation, there’s no point in being jealous since we cannot control luck. Instead of envying others, draw inspiration from their journeys and strive for what you desire you currently lack.

Ultimately, by recognizing jealousy’s presence, understanding its roots, and consciously choosing healthier coping strategies, we can navigate this complex emotion with greater wisdom and compassion for ourselves and others, benefiting ourselves the most.