Like hatred, jealousy is forbidden by the laws of life because it

“Like hatred, jealousy is forbidden by the laws of life because it is essentially destructive.” So wrote Alexis Carrel, the French surgeon and Nobel laureate, whose life was dedicated to understanding both the body and the spirit that animates it. In this brief but thunderous truth, he speaks not as a scientist of flesh, but as a philosopher of the soul. He declares that jealousy, like hatred, is not merely a moral failing or a social vice — it is a violation of nature itself, a rebellion against the harmony by which life sustains and renews itself. For life, in all its forms, thrives through creation, cooperation, and growth. Jealousy, on the other hand, corrodes those very foundations; it poisons the heart from within and turns love, friendship, and even ambition into ashes.

Carrel, who spent his days observing the intricacies of life beneath the surgeon’s lamp, saw that every living system depends on balance. The human body heals when harmony reigns — when its cells, each with their purpose, work together. But when one cell turns against the others, when envy and corruption enter, the body begins to decay. So too, he understood, is it with the human spirit. The soul infected by jealousy cannot flourish. It feeds upon itself, draining its strength, dulling its joy, and breeding bitterness until nothing good can grow. Thus, he calls jealousy “forbidden by the laws of life” — not by the decrees of religion or man, but by the very rhythm of existence itself, which demands harmony, not destruction.

To understand this, we need only look at the world around us. In the forest, each tree reaches toward the sun without resenting its neighbor’s height. Each flower blooms in its season without envy of another’s color. Only humanity, endowed with self-awareness, distorts this divine order with comparison and pride. When one soul looks upon another and feels jealousy, it is as though it rejects its own purpose — as though it says, “I was not meant for my own path; I desire another’s.” This is why jealousy is not simply an emotion but a sickness of vision. It blinds us to our blessings, turns allies into rivals, and transforms love into fear.

History, too, bears witness to Carrel’s wisdom. Consider the story of Cain and Abel, the first brothers, the first sons of humanity. Cain’s heart burned with jealousy because his offering was not favored, and from that seed of envy grew the first act of bloodshed. It was not hunger, nor power, nor need that drove him — but jealousy, that ancient fire that consumes reason and love alike. From that moment forward, mankind learned that jealousy, once allowed to rule, destroys both the envied and the envious. It slays not only the body but the spirit. The mark of Cain, we might say, is the mark of all who let jealousy reign unchecked within their hearts.

Alexis Carrel, though a man of science, spoke with the voice of a sage when he likened jealousy to hatred. For both are forms of destruction, but one burns outward, and the other inward. Hatred seeks to annihilate others; jealousy seeks to annihilate the self in comparison. Both violate what he calls the laws of life, for life is meant to grow toward the light, to build, to create. When man aligns himself with that law — when he celebrates rather than covets, when he admires rather than envies — he flourishes. But when he turns against that law, the universe itself seems to turn against him, and peace departs from his heart.

Yet, within this warning lies also a promise — that jealousy can be overcome. For the antidote to envy is not denial, but gratitude. When we learn to see beauty in another’s gifts without feeling diminished, we restore balance to our souls. When we rejoice in others’ success as if it were our own, we draw nearer to the laws that sustain all life. The wise know that no two paths are the same; that comparison is folly, for each soul’s journey is written with different stars. To resist jealousy, then, is to honor one’s unique destiny and to walk it with open eyes and an unburdened heart.

So, my listener, remember the wisdom of Carrel: that the laws of life favor those who build, not those who destroy. When the whisper of jealousy enters your mind, do not let it dwell there. Transform it instead into inspiration. Say to yourself, “What I admire in another, I, too, can cultivate within me.” For love, gratitude, and admiration are the true servants of life, while envy and hatred are its silent assassins. Choose always the creative path — the way of light — and life will rise to meet you with peace and strength.

Thus, heed this ancient truth dressed in modern words: Jealousy is forbidden by the laws of life because life itself is sacred, and to despise another’s light is to dim your own. Let your heart, therefore, be free of envy and full of wonder, that you may live not in destruction but in harmony with the great order of existence — where all things grow, not against one another, but together, beneath the eternal sun.