Envy
One
Diabolical Sin / Most Malicious
The Catechism says that envy leads to the worst sins. It was envy that fueled the first murder of human history.
Of the Seven Deadly Sins, envy is the one most clearly associated with Satan. The book of Wisdom says it was through the Devil’s envy that death entered the world. The book of Isaiah presents Satan as wanting what belonged to God, the very throne of God, and Satan himself tries to get Jesus to give him the worship that belongs to God alone. Again, Satan seems to be eaten up by envy and he infects Adam and Eve with this envy when he promises them that they’ll be like God.
Really, of all the other sins, only envy hates the good, the good of my brother. Only envy rejoices at evil, the evil that befalls my brother. There’s a sense in which of all the sins, envy gets the closest to real malice. If that’s not diabolical, then what is?
Envy is sadness at the sight of another’s goods, the disordered desire to take it from them, even unjustly, it’s pleasure when they lose that good. With envy, all we care about is doing better than others and not letting them do better than us.
Two
Envy comes from insecurity.
Surprisingly, envy comes from insecurity. Fulton Sheen once said that an inferiority complex and a superiority complex are really the same thing.
Think of how an arrogant person behaves: he constantly sings his own praises, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly, he one-ups everyone else’s story, finds reasons to criticize other people’s accomplishments, and tears them down in gossip with the hope of raising himself up. But then ask yourself: why would someone behave like that?
The only reason you’d behave like that, talking yourself up and tearing other people down, is if you felt as though your own worth, your own value, was constantly at stake, constantly at risk, constantly needing to be justified. In other words, if you were constantly concerned about your own worth, if you thought your own worth was doubtful and precarious.
In other words, you only act superior if you are terrified that you are, in fact, totally inferior. That’s what Sheen meant. A superiority complex is an inferiority complex. And we only suffer from envy because we believe that someone else’s excellence highlights our own worthlessness. And that terrifies us.
Three
Escaping our Insecurity
Our own insecurity and potential worthlessness terrifies us. When we are terrified we only want to escape. That is when Satan tempts us in a 1000 and one ways to escape by distracting ourselves with news and entertainment.
In the Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis portrays a senior demon named Screwtape who is training his nephew Wormwood in the art of tempting and undermining a human's faith and virtue. Screwtape suggests that Wormwood should fill our time with trivial and distracting pursuits.
This constant engagement in insignificant tasks serves multiple purposes: By keeping us preoccupied with time-wasting activities, Screwtape ensures that we have ample opportunity to compare ourselves with others. This comparison often leads to feelings of inadequacy and envy. The lack of meaningful engagement prevents us from feeling satisfied with our own life. Instead of cultivating gratitude and contentment, we become fixated on what others have, fostering envy. Continuous comparison and distraction from personal growth contribute to a diminished sense of self-worth. All this distraction and comparison results in a deep sense of discontent which in turn fuels envy.
Four
Step One to Overcoming Envy
Envy stems from insecurity, which arises when we fail to understand our true identity and personal worth, as well as when we are unaware of God's plan and purpose for our lives. To overcome envy, we must grasp these two fundamental truths.
Our identity and value are not determined by our achievements, personal traits, relationships, wealth, power, fame, or the ability to do as we please. Instead, God bestowed our identity and worth upon us when He created us in His image and infused us with His divine life at baptism, making us adopted sons and daughters of God. This inherent worth is infinite.
Additionally, God uniquely created each of us with distinct qualities because He has a specific role and mission that only we can fulfill. We are handcrafted in single batches. Understanding that we are children of the King of the Universe with a unique purpose eliminates the desire to be someone else. Therefore, one effective remedy for envy is to daily reflect on and reinforce our true identity and God's will for our lives. When we focus on who we are in God's eyes and the unique mission He has entrusted to us, nothing else holds greater significance.
Five
Step Two to Conquer Envy
C.S. Lewis wrote, that God “wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another.”
We can cultivate this mindset and conquer envy with two virtues: goodwill and gratitude.
Goodwill is the virtue in which we:
Want good for others, we desire and wish for good for others including our competitors and even our enemies.
Think well of others, give people the benefit of the doubt and make excuses for their shortcomings. By choosing to view others positively, you reduce negative comparisons that can lead to envy.
Speak well of others, acknowledge that every person deserves a good reputation. Speaking positively about others not only lifts them up but also reinforces your own sense of gratitude and contentment.
In addition to goodwill, gratitude serves as a powerful antidote to envy. Envy arises when we focus on what we lack and covet what others possess, leading to discontent.
In contrast, gratitude involves thanking God for everything He has given you. This acknowledgment shifts your focus from scarcity to abundance. Extend gratitude to others. Be grateful for what your wife, children, co-workers, and everyone around you have been given. If you celebrate their blessings you will be happy and so will they.
Suggested Resolutions:
Spend time this week meditating on your God-given value and what it means to be made in the image of God
List the things you’re grateful for each day
Make a conscious effort to celebrate others and rejoice in their achievements
Spend less time on media that promotes comparison