Emulation is pain caused by seeing the presence, in person whose nature is like our own, of good things that are highly valued and possible for ourselves to acquire; but it is felt, not because others have these goods, but because we have not got them ourselves. It is therefore a good feeling felt by good persons, whereas envy is a bad feeling felt by bad persons. Emulation makes us take steps to secure the good things in question, envy makes us take steps to stop our neighbor having them.
as related in Solomon Schimmel's The Seven Deadly Sins p 81
Aristotle, Rhetoric, Book 2 Chapter 11
tags: Discipleship Discipleship ×