Envy, A Rose-Bed Waiting to Bloom

"Envy is the most stupid of vices, for there is no single advantage to be gained from it." 

-Honore de Balzac

I do not agree with you Mr. Balzac, no. Much like happiness, or sorrow, or anger, envy is a natural human emotion and I believe there is a lot to be gained from it. The Buddha, much as most other philosophers and great figures, would advise you to shun envy completely- to that I'd say, good luck trying. If you are able to do it, you're enlightened, Salud. But I think it is a tad short of impossible to overcome that searing feeling that courses through you when you see someone else have exactly what you think you want. The closer that person is to you (in relation, in status, in class, etc.), the more intense, the heartache (What love other than a parent's can be completely free of the subtle presence of envy?). People have been told envy is an unacceptable vice- one of the seven deadly sins- and it can be really taxing task to accept the fact that you feel, at times, at least a little, envious. 

The method people usually employ to overcome the feeling of envy is of denial. You feel envious seeing someone have what you want, you deny that want, you kill your want. You feel hurt and helpless, but you do not want to feel that way. And so you tell yourself that it is a shallow goal to achieve, or that material profit is unworthy of your attention, or you are way better single, or that ambition is not for you and you really want a quieter, simpler life and that is just who you are. However, underneath all those blatant statements you tell yourself, you are not really content. Nor is the pain gone. This is the very thorn of envy. It will never go away that way.

But then, envy should not be dealt with that way. If you do it right, you get to avoid the thorns and get the roses. You ever got the feeling that you are dissatisfied with life but can't really pinpoint why? Use envy. Envy, you see, paves you the best way to get to know yourself. You can only feel envious, if you really want something (You won't really feel envious of a arm wrestling champion, if you earnestly want to be a good at painting). So envy's great advantage is that it educates you of your wants. If you take it that way, and don't let yourself get paralyzed with denial (or complacent after you kill your desires), you will find that it drives you, it prods you, it pushes you on, to get what you want. Even if you never actually manage to get exactly what you want, in the process of trying to get it, you will get something valuable (shoot for the stars, land on the moon kinda stuff). The only thing to be wary of is burnout- do not let your envy sink its thorns in you, do not get resentful, do not get malicious towards those you envy. Learn from them, draw admiration, and manage envy well, so that it inspires you to get up and really sweat it up, for what you want. Go get your dreams, fly high. Keep in mind the adage I just made up-

Ride your envy, lest it rides you.