I don't get jealous of people. Jealousy is such a waste of time

In the words of Joy Behar, there rings a wisdom both simple and profound: “I don't get jealous of people. Jealousy is such a waste of time because you're jealous of them, and they go about their lives and have a wonderful time, so what's the point?” These words, though light upon the tongue, carry the gravity of truth long known to sages and poets. Jealousy, that ancient thief of peace, has been the ruin of friendships, the poison of love, and the shadow that darkens the soul. Behar’s reflection, born of humor and clarity, reminds us that envy gains nothing — it devours the heart of the one who feels it while leaving its target untouched.

In this saying, we hear an echo of the Stoic philosophers of old, who taught that to be disturbed by another’s fortune is to surrender one’s own freedom. The Roman thinker Seneca once wrote that envy is grief at another’s good — a sorrow that serves no master but misery itself. Joy Behar, in her modern, unpretentious way, delivers this same truth with the laughter of wisdom: while we burn with resentment, those we envy are dancing in the sunlight, unaware of the shadows we cast upon ourselves. Jealousy, she says, is not only destructive — it is futile. To harbor it is to fight a war whose only casualty is one’s own spirit.

From the earliest tales, this lesson has been written in the blood and tears of humankind. Think of Cain and Abel, the first brothers — one consumed not by hatred, but by jealousy of the other’s favor in the eyes of God. That jealousy, left unmastered, grew into wrath, and wrath became murder. Thus, from the dawn of history, we are warned: to envy is to turn one’s face from grace, to look not at one’s blessings, but at another’s. Joy Behar’s insight, playful as it seems, speaks to that same ancient wound. For jealousy blinds us to the abundance already within our reach.

There is also a subtle heroism in her words — the courage of contentment, which few possess. To look upon another’s success without bitterness requires strength. It is the mark of one who knows their own worth, who measures their joy not by comparison, but by truth. The jealous heart, forever glancing sideways, loses sight of the path ahead. But the contented heart walks forward, untroubled by others’ fortune, for it understands that happiness cannot be stolen — it must be grown within. This is the freedom of self-knowledge, the liberty of a soul unchained by envy.

Consider the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, who once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” She, like Behar, understood that the true power lies not in the approval or success of others, but in one’s inner peace. Roosevelt faced criticism, comparison, and hostility, yet her dignity remained intact because she refused to measure herself by any standard but her own conscience. Such is the antidote to jealousy — to anchor one’s worth not in another’s light, but in one’s own.

In Joy Behar’s world, as in the teachings of the ancients, there is also humor — a gentle recognition that life is too fleeting to waste on resentment. Jealousy, she reminds us, changes nothing. The one envied continues on their path, unbothered; only the envious suffer. To spend time in jealousy is to squander the very thing it covets — joy. It is like drinking salt water to quench thirst, leaving the soul more parched than before. By choosing laughter over envy, Behar embodies a truth as old as the stars: happiness is not found in comparison, but in gratitude.

The lesson, then, is this: guard your time and your heart, for both are precious. When jealousy stirs, pause and remember — the person you envy is not your rival, but your mirror, showing you what you most desire to create for yourself. Let that reflection inspire, not wound. Turn envy into curiosity, comparison into motivation, resentment into reverence. In doing so, you reclaim your peace and your power.

So, my listener, let these words guide you: do not waste your life in jealousy, for it steals from you and gives nothing in return. The world is vast enough for every light to shine. Rejoice in another’s success as proof that beauty and possibility are abundant. Walk your own path with laughter, as Joy Behar does, unburdened by envy and rich in perspective. For those who live without jealousy do not merely survive — they thrive, free and radiant, untouched by the shadows of comparison, and alive in the sunlight of their own becoming.