Dear Friends,
It seems to me, the most destructive emotion, bar none, is envy… and sadly, we have an entire political establishment that is based on envy. What good comes of envy? Does it motivate people to better themselves? No, it only motivates people to destroy. Does envy create an inclusive society? No, envy demands exclusiveness. Envy destroys not only the person envied but the envious as well. It corrodes the soul until there is nothing left but hatred. Envy only destroys, but when stoked it insures that villains get power to harm those who are envied. The envious gleefully look upon their own calamity and cheer it, as long as those they hate are harmed as well. Yet that party that is based on envy is composed of the very people we are supposed to envy! They artfully manage our anger and hate to their own ends. Have you ever noticed that the very people telling us to “eat the rich,” are themselves uber rich? Is it irony or villainy? I would argue it is villainy of the highest order.
From our schools teaching envy as a virtue, our media stoking the fires of envy and our governments exploiting envy as a means to power, envy has become synonymous with progressivism. Common sense, the great philosophers and prophets, all have called envy evil, yet our modern sophists tell us and teach our kids envy is a good. Any society that elevates such a corrosive emotion, as envy, to the status of a noble act, is one that will soon see violence, crime and poverty. There is no way any culture that nurtures envy can create wealth, have low crime or dwell in peace, because envy is not constructive but destructive. Taking pleasure in the suffering of another motivates people to crime, violence and derision. Teaching envy to children is in all ways a crime against those children, and indeed, a crime against humanity itself.
Socrates said this about envy, “Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” And it truly is an ulcer of the soul. The soul that is filled with envy must also be filled with hatred. The two conditions correlate to a high degree. Those who envy, must be filled with hate, and those who are filled with love, never harbor envy in their hearts. Solzhenitsyn said, “Our envy devours us most of all.” By nurturing envy in our hearts we slowly eat our own souls. This is because envy consumes us by filling our hearts with the poison of hate. The envious find solace in their own destruction if it also destroys the envied. Therefore they will not only harm the envied, but themselves most of all, and in doing so damage all of human society. Blind hate, born of envy, is why some gladly harm themselves and their loved ones, as long as it also harms those they envy.
Politicians who deal in envy exploit it’s negative qualities to gin up hate of their political enemies, while at the same time elevate themselves as the righteous warriors, who will deal a blow to the envied, in the name of “fairness.” While most of the time, politicians who use envy as a means to power, are exactly those who do not deserve their ill gotten gains. Bernie Sanders is a perfect example in this, He has never worked a day in his life, never produced a single good for anyone but himself, yet has several mansions on the lake and drives around in a super car. He has got rich in politics. Harry Truman said, “Anyone who gets rich in politics is a God damned crook!” By that definition Sanders is a GD crook. Yet while he deserves nothing that he has, he stokes the fire of envy against those who have worked hard for their wealth and contributed to society. Then wields the hatred as a weapon to destroy, not only those who have bettered the lot of Man, but against human heartedness itself.
Envy is a form of greed, a greed that is born of the envier’s self loathing, because they don’t have the chutzpah, intelligence, work ethic or virtue to get it themselves. Envy is avarice for that which the envious is unwilling to work for, a greed that insures the envious will never get, that which he or she so covets. Make no mistake, the heart that contains envy is one that is incapable of the true virtues of love, honesty, righteousness, humility, self sacrifice and charity. Instead filling the envious with hate, perjury, a passion for revenge, haughtiness, and selfishness… even at cost to themselves and their loved ones.
The politician who deals in envy then proves he or she is villainous by it. Throughout history all the great thinkers have unanimously condemned envy, yet today, our media, politicians, and even schools teach envy as a virtue unmatched by any other, which can only lead to want and suffering. Envy causes those afflicted by it to find joy in harming their own self interests. Yet we can speak up when they try to manipulate us with envy. Point out when we are being manipulated by envy, be an example to others, and teach your children to love rather than hate. It is the duty of the human hearted to call attention to the destructive passion of envy, and crush it wherever we find it… and if you discover you have envy in your heart, you are best served to expunge it, else you endanger your very soul!
Sincerely,
John Pepin
