"The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause"

Envy is a corrosive emotion that inflicts repeated wounds on those who harbor it. Baltasar Gracian explains that the envious do not suffer a single moment of pain; instead, they endure ongoing distress each time the object of their envy achieves recognition or success. Every applause received by the envied person becomes a fresh pang for the envious. Rather than finding satisfaction in their own lives, their happiness and self-worth are tethered to the fortunes of others, specifically those they resent or covet. This dynamic creates a recurring cycle: each triumph or accolade for another is experienced almost as a personal defeat.

The emotional cost of envy is relentless. Success is rarely isolated; applause and achievements accumulate. For the one obsessed with envy, life becomes a series of small deaths, bits of their joy and contentment are chipped away every time someone else ascends. The envied, in contrast, are buoyed by praise and accomplishment, largely unaffected by the internal struggles of those who envy them. The applause strengthens the envied, while simultaneously weakening the envious.

Unmanaged envy transforms ordinary events into sources of pain. A promotion, heartfelt praise, or even simple appreciation for someone else is magnified into a personal loss. The envious person’s sense of self is undermined not by their own failures but by the successes of others. This perpetual state of suffering stands in stark contrast with those capable of celebrating others or remaining indifferent to comparison. While most people inevitably experience moments of jealousy, those ruled by envy continually punish themselves, forfeiting peace and risking bitterness. Gracian’s observation serves as a caution: to envy is to guarantee recurring unhappiness, since the world will never cease to offer applause for someone else. Liberation comes only from recognizing and breaking this destructive cycle.