Seven Truths About Envy
“The world is not driven by greed. It’s driven by envy.” – Charlie Munger.
Charlie Munger, the sharp-witted and brutally honest business partner of Warren Buffett, wasn’t just an investing genius. He had a gift for pulling back the curtain on human behavior and showing us the uncomfortable truths about how we live. I’m not sure what his religious beliefs were, but I find it fascinating that one of the wealthiest men in the world noted that envy had no upside. And yet, it runs deep in our culture.
Munger noted that, in America, people are surrounded by unprecedented prosperity, yet happiness feels elusive. Why? Because we’re not measuring what we have—we’re measuring it against what someone else has. Instead of gratitude for abundance, we feel resentment over perceived gaps.
[Related message — Envy: The Enemy of Contentment]
“Figure out how to avoid envy and resentment,” Munger says. “They’re toxic emotions that destroy happiness and good judgment.” Munger’s insights were not new. Scripture established this timeless truth in the first century.
James says, “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” (James 3:16)
Envy isn’t just annoying, it’s dangerous. It distorts relationships, breeds chaos, and leaves you perpetually dissatisfied.
Seven Truths About Envy
1) Envy starts with calculation but thrives on comparison.
Envy doesn’t come from looking at the whole world. It comes from comparing yourself to the person just ahead of you. It’s why the unhappy millionaire envies the billionaire, and the unhappy billionaire envies someone who has peace.
2) Envy never tells the truth.
It whispers, “They don’t deserve that.”
3) Envy will wear you out.
Life is not fair, and it never will be. If fairness becomes your measuring stick, you’ll always end up miserable and burned out.
4) Envy fosters bitterness toward others.
It leaves you feeling inadequate, and that sense of inadequacy often creates distance between you and others.
5) Envy fuels dissatisfaction.
Envy focuses on what you lack rather than what you have. It poisons your ability to celebrate others and blinds you to God’s blessings in your own life.
6) Envy is often invisible to us.
Most people don’t think they’re envious. But even those who believe life’s blessings come from God aren’t immune. Envy is sneaky. And it thrives in secrecy.
7) Envy forgets all things on earth are temporary.
It invests in what’s fleeting, not what’s lasting.
Thankfully, James doesn’t just tell us to avoid envy. He gives us a better way:
“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:17-18)
Wisdom that comes from God leads to peace, not discord. It plants seeds of harmony and gratitude. There is a difference between envy and admiration. When we admire people who have what we want, we celebrate their success and can learn something from it. However, when we envy people who have what we want, the discontentment makes us resent them.
Conclusion: Envy or Gratitude?
Envy leaves you stuck in a scarcity mindset, while gratitude shifts you into abundance. One creates division, the other creates connection.
Whenever you feel envy creeping in, take a pause. Instead of thinking, “Why do they have that?” ask yourself, “What can I learn from them?”
Then, write down three things you’re grateful for in your life. Gratitude isn’t just a good habit—it’s the antidote to envy. Plant seeds of peace, not discord, and watch the harvest grow.