Difference Between Envy and Covet

The main difference between envy and covet is that envy is a feeling of discontent and resentment based on someone else’s possessions, abilities, or status while covet is wishing, longing, or craving for something that belongs to someone else.

Envy and covetousness are two negative feelings that make us unhappy. In fact, covet is part of ten commandments, while envy is one of the seven deadly sins. Moreover, these two feelings are interconnected as envy can lead to covetousness, and vice versa.

Key Areas Covered

1. What Does Envy Mean
     – Definition, Nature, Characteristics
2. What Does Covet Mean
     – Definition, Nature, Characteristics
3. What is the Relationship Between Envy and Covet
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Envy and Covet
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Covet, Covetousness, Envy, Greed

What Does Envy Mean

Envy is a feeling of discontent and resentment based on someone else’s possessions, abilities, or status. Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. Moreover, psychologists identify two types of envy as malicious envy and benign envy. Malicious envy is a negative emotion that ruins a person as his/her mind causes him or her to blindly want the person he/she envies to suffer. Benign envy, on the other hand, is a positive emotion that motivates a person to be as good as the person he/she envies. Therefore, envy can be used positively, even though it is considered to be a sin in traditional religions.

Furthermore, malicious envy is similar to jealousy since both feel discontent towards others’ possessions, abilities, status, etc. The difference between envy and jealousy is that a person feeling envious also feels the desire something and covet it. The British philosopher Bertrand Russell stated that envy is one of the most potent causes of unhappiness. He also said that a person who envies another might wish to inflict misfortune on them, in forms of emotional abuse and violent acts.

What Does Covet Mean

Covet means to wish, long, or crave for something, especially something that belongs to another person. It usually involves desiring something wrongfully without any regards for the rights of others. The noun form of covet is covetousness. We usually associated the words covet and covetousness with material possessions. Moreover, the opposite of covetousness is contentment. When you are content, you are happy with what you have and do not yearn for things that do not belong to you. In most religions, covetousness is regarded as undesirable.

Covetousness is included in one of the ten commandments: “thou shall not covet” – “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s.” Unlike the other nine commandments, which focus on outward actions, this commandment focuses on the thoughts; therefore, it is the commandment that is hardest to keep and easiest to break.

Relationship Between Envy and Covet

• These are interconnected feelings that stem from craving something that belongs to another.
• Covetousness can lead to envy, and envy can lead to covetousness.
• Moreover, these negative feelings have the ability to make us deeply unhappy and discontent.

Difference Between Envy and Covet

Definition

Envy is a feeling of discontent and resentment based on someone else’s possessions, abilities, or status, while covet is wishing, longing, or craving for something that belongs to someone else.

Possessions

Envy can be felt about someone’s possessions, abilities, status, fortune, etc. However, we usually associated the word covet with material possessions.

Nature

While envy can be malign or benign, covetousness is usually malicious.

Christianity

In Christianity, envy is one of the seven deadly sins, while covet is included in one of the ten commandments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, envy and covetousness are two negative feelings that make us unhappy and discontent. The main difference between envy and covet is that envy is a feeling of discontent and resentment based on someone else’s possessions, abilities, or status while covet is wishing, longing, or craving for something that belongs to someone else.

Reference:

1. “Envy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Apr. 2020, Available here.
2. “Thou Shalt Not Covet.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2020, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Seven Deadly Sins by Rox Steady” dingler1109 (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Ten Commandments image” (Public Domain) via Publicdomainvectors.org