Avoid Deadly Sins. Start with the Right Morality First
Envy is one of the seven deadly sins and a cognitive bias that causes irrational behavior because it brings no pleasure. The story of Cain and Abel illustrates its destructive consequences, and Charlie Munger notes that envy is particularly foolish since it is the only sin you can never enjoy.
THE IDEA
Avoid Deadly Sins. Start with the Right Morality First
Charlie: “When I read my psychology talks given about fifteen years ago, I realized that I could now create a more logical, but much longer ‘talk,’ including most of what I had earlier said. Despite four very considerable objections, I decided to publish the much-expanded version. Why am I doing this? My third and final reason is the strongest; I have fallen in love with my way of laying out psychology because it has been so useful for me [clxxi].
Envy is one of the Catholic Church seven deadly sins. In the Book of Genesis [2], Cain kills his brother Abel out of envy because God prefers his sacrifice.
Charlie said, “The idea of caring that someone is making more money faster than you is one of a deadly sins. Envy is really stupid sin because it is the only one you could never possible have any fun at [clxxii].
When to use it
When comparing your salary or career progress with peers, recognize envy to avoid rash decisions like job hopping or overspending.
In investing, envy of others' returns can lead to chasing performance; awareness helps maintain discipline.
During social media use, envy from curated highlight reels can be mitigated by understanding the bias.
When evaluating business competitors, envy might cloud judgment; consciously separate emotion from strategy.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Cain and Abel
In the biblical story, Cain kills his brother Abel out of envy because God favored Abel's sacrifice. Envy leads to extreme destructive behavior in the story.
Financial Envy
Charlie Munger points out that caring about someone making more money than you is a form of envy, a sin that provides no enjoyment and often leads to poor financial decisions.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Recall a time you felt envious of someone's success or possessions. How did that feeling influence your actions or decisions?
Why might envy be considered particularly irrational compared to other emotions like anger or greed?
How can recognizing envy as a cognitive bias help you make better decisions in competitive environments?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Art of Being Rational Charlie Munger