A jealous person is doubly unhappy-over what he has, which is judged inferior, and over which he has not, which is judged superior. Such a person is doubly removed from knowing the true blessing of creation.
Interpretation
Jealousy causes unhappiness by making a person focus on what they lack and their perceived inferiority.
This quote by Desmond Tutu highlights the destructive nature of jealousy. A jealous individual experiences dual suffering: they lament their own possessions, viewing them as inferior to what others have, while simultaneously yearning for what those others possess, seeing it as superior. This mindset prevents them from appreciating and recognizing the true value and blessings present in their own life, leading to a skewed perspective on existence and happiness.
In practice
During a motivational talk about self-acceptance, this quote can be used to illustrate the dangers of jealousy.
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Remember, people will judge you by your actions not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold but so does a hard-boiled egg.
Greed arises only because your present moment is empty, and to live in an empty moment hurts very much. To forget it you project greed into the future, thinking that tomorrow things are going to be better, a lottery is going to open in your name. But of course you have to wait for tomorrow, it cannot be just now - and tomorrow never comes. All that comes is always the present moment, which is empty. Greed is because we don't know how to live the present moment in its total richness.
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Learn to get from the day. Not just get through it, get from it. Soak it up. Each day is a piece of the mosaic of your life.
A principle is a principle and in no case can it be watered down because of our incapacity to live it in practice. We have to strive to achieve it, and the striving should be conscious, deliberate and hard.
Quietly endure, silently suffer and patiently wait.
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