A Quote by Ovid

Envy, the meanest of vices, creeps on the ground like a serpent.

Ovid

Quote Topics

Creeps Envy Ground Like Meanest Serpent Vices

Quote Author

Ovid
Roman - Poet
43 BC - 17 AD

Envy, slothful vice, Never makes its way in lofty characters, But, like the skulking viper, creeps and crawls Close to the ground.

Ovid

The yearning after equality [in economic outcome] is the offspring of envy and covetousness, and there is no possible plan for satisfying that yearning which can do aught else than rob A to give to B; consequently all such plans nourish some of the meanest vices of human nature, waste capital, and overthrow civilization.

William Graham Sumner

Envy is more irreconcilable than hate. It is the most corroding of all political vices and also a great power in our land. The friends of freedom are content to be envied, but envy not.

Hans F. Sennholz

ENVY, n. Emulation adapted to the meanest capacity.

Ambrose Bierce

Jesus reminds us that the good life combines the toughness of the serpent and the tenderness of the dove. To have serpent-like qualities devoid of dovelike qualities is to be passionless, mean, and selfish. To have dovelike without serpent-like qualities is to be sentimental, anemic and aimless. We must combine strongly marked antitheses.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

'Mullygrubber' is an Australian term which means something that creeps along the ground; it's like a little grub.

Richie Benaud

Deliberate cruelty to our defenceless and beautiful little cousins is surely one of the meanest and most detestable vices of which a human being can be guilty.

William Ralph Inge

Of all vices take heed of drunkenness; other vices are but fruits of disordered affections--this disorders, nay, banishes reason; other vices but impair the soul--this demolishes her two chief faculties, the understanding and the will; other vices make their own way--this makes way for all vices; he that is a drunkard is qualified for all vice.

Francis Quarles

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

Honore de Balzac

The truth is that cupidity, selfishness, envy, malice, lust, vindictiveness, are constant vices of human nature.

William Graham Sumner

The modern Left is not driven by fairness. It is guided by an ideology of greed and envy. Those are vices, not virtues.

Stephen Moore

So long as the serpent continues to crawl on the ground, the primary influence of woman will be indirect.

Ellen Glasgow

Envy, envy eats them alive. If you had money, they’d envy you that. But since you don’t, they envy you for having such a good, bright, loving daughter. They envy you for just being a happy man. They envy you for not envying them. One of the greatest sorrows of human existence is that some people aren’t happy merely to be alive but find their happiness only in the misery of others.