Jealousy is the worst trait in any person.

There is sharp clarity and timeless wisdom in the words of Adam DeVine, when he declared: “Jealousy is the worst trait in any person.” Though simple in form, this truth cuts to the core of human weakness. Jealousy, that green-eyed thief of peace, has ruined more friendships, poisoned more hearts, and destroyed more lives than nearly any other emotion. DeVine’s words, though spoken by a man of humor and modern sensibility, echo the ancient wisdom of every age: that envy is not merely a feeling — it is a disease of the soul, one that devours joy from within while leaving the outer face smiling in pretense.

To understand why jealousy is the “worst trait,” we must see it for what it is — a denial of gratitude and a rejection of self. The jealous person cannot celebrate another’s fortune because they secretly despise their own. They see life not as a garden to be tended, but as a contest to be won. Where love rejoices, jealousy resents; where humility admires, jealousy compares. It transforms success into rivalry, affection into suspicion, and admiration into bitterness. In this way, it does not merely harm relationships — it corrupts the soul, for it blinds one to the blessings already given.

In the ancient world, philosophers and poets often warned against the consuming fire of envy. Aristotle called it the pain felt at another’s good fortune. Shakespeare named it the monster that “mocks the meat it feeds on.” And in scripture, jealousy appears as one of the earliest human sins — it was Cain’s jealousy of Abel that led to the first murder. Cain’s heart could not bear that his brother’s offering was accepted while his own was not. Instead of learning, he chose to destroy. Thus jealousy, from the dawn of humanity, has been the seed of tragedy — a passion that turns outward against others but always originates from the emptiness within.

History, too, bears witness to the ruin born of envy. Consider the rivalry between Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — a tale immortalized in legend and art. Salieri, a man of great talent, could not bear that Mozart’s genius shone brighter. His jealousy became his tormentor, haunting him more than Mozart himself ever could. It robbed him not only of peace but of the joy of his own craft. For jealousy is a thief that steals not from others, but from its host — replacing inspiration with resentment, and admiration with anguish. The jealous man lives in perpetual hunger, feeding on bitterness and finding no satisfaction.

Yet Adam DeVine’s declaration is not one of despair, but of recognition. He calls jealousy the “worst trait” because it stands in opposition to every noble virtue. It is the enemy of love, for it cannot rejoice in another’s joy. It is the enemy of gratitude, for it blinds us to our own gifts. It is the enemy of humility, for it convinces us that we deserve what others have earned. It enslaves the heart in comparison, chaining it to illusions of worth that no possession or victory can ever fulfill. The wise see that jealousy is not an external problem but an inner war — and that the only true victory is to overcome oneself.

The cure to jealousy lies not in pretending it does not exist, but in transforming it through gratitude and self-awareness. When the heart begins to envy, let it pause and reflect: What am I truly lacking? What do I already possess that I have failed to honor? In that reflection, jealousy loses its poison, for gratitude dissolves envy as light dissolves shadow. One cannot hate what one appreciates, nor envy when one admires sincerely. To rejoice in the success of another is the mark of a heart at peace — a heart that knows its own worth.

So let this teaching be passed down as both warning and guide: Jealousy is the root of misery, but contentment is the root of peace. Do not let the achievements of others diminish your own; instead, let them inspire you. Celebrate the triumphs of your peers, for in their rise, humanity itself ascends. Measure not your worth by comparison, but by contribution. The jealous man dies a thousand deaths in silence, but the grateful man lives abundantly, even in obscurity.

Thus, as Adam DeVine reminds us, to rid oneself of jealousy is to reclaim joy itself. It is to live freely, unshackled by envy, walking the world with open eyes and an unburdened heart. For the soul that rejoices in the light of others becomes luminous in turn — and that, above all, is the greatest victory a person can ever achieve.