Christianity provided man for the first time with supernatural beings who, he knew, could neither envy nor ridicule him. Helmut Schoeck More Quotes by Helmut Schoeck More Quotes From Helmut Schoeck The envious man thinks that if his neighbor breaks a leg, he will be able to walk better himself Helmut Schoeck break-a-leg men thinking Overwhelming and astounding inequality,especially when it has an element of the unattainable, arouses far less envy than minimal inequality, which inevitably causes the envious to think: I might have been in his place. Helmut Schoeck envy causes thinking To claim "humanitarian motives" when the motive is envy and its supposed appeasement, is a favorite rhetorical device of politicians today, and has been for at least a hundred and fifty years. Helmut Schoeck envy atheism years We envy those whose possessions or achievements are a reflection on our own. They are our neighbors and equals. It is they, above all who make plain the nature of our failure. Helmut Schoeck envy achievement reflection The more kindness shown to an envious man, the worse he becomes. Helmut Schoeck envious kindness men Man's envy is at its most intense where all are almost equal; his calls for redistribution are loudest when there is virtually nothing to redistribute. Helmut Schoeck intense envy men