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[[Image:Giotto - Scrovegni - -48- - Envy.jpg|right|thumb|120px|A personification of envy, painted by [[Giotto]].]]

[[Image:Giotto - Scrovegni - -48- - Envy.jpg|right|thumb|120px|A personification of envy, painted by [[Giotto]].]]

'''Envy''' is the [[sin]] of wanting (or coveting) what other people have, or more precisely resentment or bitterness over what other people have. This can include possessions, power, social standing, or even things that the envious person could not possibly gain for himself, such as talent or looks. Coveting is closely related to Envy and [[Theft]]. To '''covet''' what another has is to desire primarily to deprive the other person of the good they have, and only secondarily to take and possess it as one's own, not usually to enjoy, but solely as revenge for the other ever having had it, to cause grief over its loss. It is forbidden by one of the [[Ten Commandments]] and also considered one of the [[Seven Deadly Sins]].  In Virtue ethics, envy is considered an excess of Righteous Indignation- "the envious person is pained [by the] good fortune of others, whether deserved or not".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100108184422/http://www.molloy.edu/sophia/aristotle/ne2_notes.htm Aristotle's Virtues (molloy.edu)]</ref> As such, even people not among God's chosen recognized this as a vice before the birth of Christ.

'''Envy''' is the [[sin]] of wanting (or coveting) what other people have, or more precisely resentment or bitterness over what other people have. This can include possessions, power, social standing, or even things that the envious person could not possibly gain for himself, such as talent or looks. Coveting is closely related to Envy and [[Theft]]. To '''covet''' what another has is to desire primarily to deprive the other person of the good they have, and only secondarily to take and possess it as one's own, not usually to enjoy, but solely as revenge for the other ever having had it, to cause grief over its loss, and to [[Gloating|gloat]] over the pain thus caused. It is forbidden by one of the [[Ten Commandments]] and also considered one of the [[Seven Deadly Sins]].  In Virtue ethics, envy is considered an excess of Righteous Indignation- "the envious person is pained [by the] good fortune of others, whether deserved or not".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100108184422/http://www.molloy.edu/sophia/aristotle/ne2_notes.htm Aristotle's Virtues (molloy.edu)]</ref> As such, even people not among God's chosen recognized this as a vice before the birth of Christ.

The sin of envy is interesting in that it does not cause any direct harm to others by itself and its indulgence never gives any pleasure or satisfaction to the envious person, but only the dissatisfied torment of feeling deprived or cheated by bitter contrast with others. Rather, people commit other sins such as [[theft]] or [[deceit]] when they act on their envious feelings.  (Like other sins, of course, it distances the sinner from God.) Envy is a form of [[enmity]] or [[hate]] and is opposed by the virtues of [[generosity]] and [[charity]].

The sin of envy is interesting in that it does not cause any direct harm to others by itself and its indulgence never gives any pleasure or satisfaction to the envious person, but only the dissatisfied torment of feeling deprived or cheated by bitter contrast with others. Rather, people commit other sins such as [[theft]] or [[deceit]] when they act on their envious feelings.  (Like other sins, of course, it distances the sinner from God.) Envy is a form of [[enmity]] or [[hate]] and is opposed by the virtues of [[generosity]] and [[charity]].