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Samuel Johnson Quotes about Envy

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Whoever envies another confesses his superiority.

Whoever envies another confesses his superiority.

Samuel Johnson
Jealousy, Envy, Your Jealous
Samuel Johnson (1784). “The Rambler: In Four Volumes..”, p.128

A man finds in the productions of nature an inexhaustible stock of material on which he can employ himself, without any temptations to envy or malevolence, and has always a certain prospect of discovering new reasons for adoring the sovereign author of the universe.

Samuel Johnson
Nature, Men, Envy
Samuel Johnson, Elizabeth Carter, Samuel Richardson, Catherine Talbot (1825). “The Rambler: A Periodical Paper, Published in 1750, 1751, 1752”, p.9

Diffidence may check resolution and obstruct performance, but compensates its embarrassments by more important advantages; it conciliates the proud, and softens the severe; averts envy from excellence, and censure from miscarriage.

Samuel Johnson
Miscarriage, Envy, Excellence
Samuel Johnson, Hester Lynch Piozzi, James Boswell (1804). “The beauties of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: consisting of maxims and observations, moral, critical, and miscellaneous: to which are now added biographical anecdotes of the doctor, selected from the works of Mrs. Piozzi;--his Life, recently published by Mr. Boswell, and other authentic testimonies; also his will, and the sermon he wrote for the late Doctor Dodd”, p.174

There is no observation more frequently made by such as employ themselves in surveying the conduct of mankind, than that marriage, though the dictate of nature, and the institution of Providence, is yet very often the cause of misery, and that those who enter into that state can seldom forbear to express their repentance, and their envy of those whom either chance or caution hath withheld from it.

Samuel Johnson
Envy, Causes, Chance
Samuel Johnson (1810). “The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With An Essay on His Life and Genius”, p.116

There mark what ills the scholar's life assail, toil, envy, want, and patron.

Samuel Johnson
Envy, Toil, Want
'The Vanity of Human Wishes' (1749) l. 157

All envy is proportionate to desire.

Samuel Johnson
Envy, Desire
Samuel Johnson (1827). “The Rambler”, p.117

Every other enjoyment malice may destroy; every other panegyric envy may withhold; but no human power can deprive the boaster of his own encomiums.

Samuel Johnson
Power, Envy, May
Samuel Johnson (2009). “Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings”, p.58, Harvard University Press

All envy is proportionate to desire; we are uneasy at the attainments of another, according as we think our own happiness would be advanced by the addition of that which he withholds from us.

Samuel Johnson
Thinking, Envy, Desire
Samuel Johnson, Elizabeth Carter, Samuel Richardson, Catherine Talbot (1825). “The Rambler: A Periodical Paper, Published in 1750, 1751, 1752”, p.31

Very few live by choice. Every man is placed in his present condition by causes which acted without his foresight, and with which he did not always willingly cooperate; and therefore you will rarely meet one who does not think the lot of his neighbor better than his own.

Samuel Johnson
Men, Thinking, Envy
Samuel Johnson (1977). “Selected Poetry and Prose”, p.101, Univ of California Press

I do not envy a clergyman's life as an easy life, nor do I envy the clergyman who makes it an easy life.

Samuel Johnson
Envy, Easy, Clergymen
Samuel Johnson, Robert ARMITAGE (1850). “Doctor Johnson: his religious life and his death. By the author of “Dr. Hookwell,” etc. [Robert Armitage].”, p.109

Being married to those sleepy-souled women is just like playing at cards for nothing: no passion is excited and the time is filled up. I do not, however, envy a fellow one of those honeysuckle wives for my part, as they are but creepers at best and commonly destroy the tree they so tenderly cling about.

Samuel Johnson
Passion, Filled Up, Envy
James Boswell, Samuel Johnson (1859). “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: Including a Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”, p.257

All envy would be extinguished, if it were universally known that there are none to be envied.

Samuel Johnson
Envy, Humanity, Would Be
Samuel Johnson, Arthur Murphy (1825). “The Works of Samuel Johnson...”, p.73

A man is very apt to complain of the ingratitude of those who have risen far above him.

Samuel Johnson
Men, Envy, Complaining
James Boswell, Samuel Johnson (1866). “The Life of Samuel Johnson”, p.2

Pride is seldom delicate, it will please itself with very mean advantages; and envy feels not its own happiness, but when it may be compared with the misery of others

Samuel Johnson
Mean, Pride, Envy
Samuel Johnson, Hester Lynch Piozzi, James Boswell (1787). “The Beauties of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Consisting of Maxims and Observations, Moral, Critical, and Miscellaneous, to which are Now Added, Biographical Anecdotes of the Doctor, Selected from the Late Productions of Mrs. Piozzi, Mr. Boswell, ...”, p.209

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