Envy goes beyond avarice.
Envy goes beyond avarice.
Meaning in plain English
Wanting to deny another person a benefit can be more destructive than wanting an advantage for yourself. Notice when comparison turns a desire into resentment.
Example
A club member votes against an affordable improvement simply because a rival suggested it. They reconsider whether the decision serves the club or only the rivalry.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb contrasts two motives: wanting to possess and wanting another not to possess. Envy can push a person towards a choice that damages someone else even when it brings no useful gain. A helpful response asks what need lies beneath the comparison and what action would actually improve the situation. The saying’s ranking is rhetorical, not a measured psychological law. Both motives can cause harm; the contrast makes the specifically spiteful direction of envy easier to recognise.
When to use it
Use it when resentment is influencing a choice that benefits no one.
Keep in mind
A fair objection to inequality is not automatically envy. Examine the reason and effects before applying that label.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 17; French section, paragraph 345; source wording: Envie passe avarice.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗