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As Charlie Munger says, envy is the only one of the seven deadly sins that has no upside (isn't even fun).


Devil's Advocate: Envy can be a powerful motivator which can empower you to strive to achieve what you desire.


Devil's Advocate on that: if you pursue something out of envy, it's very unlikely you're going to enjoy it nearly as much as anticipated, after acquisition.

There's a difference between pursuing what you want independent of particular concern for what others have, and pursuing something because someone else has it. The end result upon acquisition is entirely different. It's similar to fame or prestige in that sense, which are given to you by other people's often fleeting opinions, and are frequently torturous accordingly to the extent one cares about such.


Buffet has spoken out on it as well, saying envy is what really drives the world, not greed.

Most people don't really want things until they think they are getting the short end of the stick.




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