The Avaricious and Envious
TWO neighbours came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant their hearts’ desire. Now the one was full of avarice, and the other eaten up with envy. So to punish them both, Jupiter granted that each might have whatever he wished for himself, but only on condition that his neighbour had twice as much. The Avaricious man prayed to have a room full of gold. No sooner said than done; but all his joy was turned to grief when he found that his neighbour had two rooms full of the precious metal. Then came the turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his neighbour had any joy at all. So he prayed that he might have one of his own eyes put out, by which means his companion would become totally blind.
“VICES ARE THEIR OWN PUNISHMENT.”
Interpretations and Insights:
“The Avaricious and Envious” is a fable that delves into human vices, particularly greed and envy, and illustrates the self-defeating consequences that these traits can bring. Here are several lessons and insights drawn from the fable:
Self-destruction of Vices: The main message of the fable is the self-destructive nature of vices. Both the Avaricious and Envious men bring about their own misery through their negative traits. This is encapsulated in the adage, “Vices are their own punishment”.
Relative Satisfaction: The fable highlights the concept of relative satisfaction and discontent. The Avaricious man’s joy at receiving a room full of gold is diminished not by what he lacks, but by what his neighbor possesses.
Misuse of Opportunities: Both men are given a unique opportunity to have their desires fulfilled by Jupiter. However, their vices cause them to misuse these opportunities, leading to their own detriment. This underscores the importance of wisdom and restraint in using resources or opportunities.
Harmful Competition: The story also speaks to the harmfulness of competition based on envy. The Envious man’s decision to blind himself, in the hope of making his neighbor entirely blind, underscores the harm one can inflict on oneself out of spite or jealousy.
Dangers of Envy and Greed: The Envious man’s decision is driven by his inability to see his neighbor enjoy more benefits, even if it means suffering himself. This starkly depicts the toxic nature of envy. Similarly, the avaricious man’s greed leaves him discontented, despite his considerable wealth.
Irony and Cosmic Justice: The irony lies in the fact that in trying to outdo each other, the two men end up in a worse state than they were before. This aspect of the fable suggests a form of cosmic justice where harmful desires lead to self-inflicted punishment.
Perverse Satisfaction: The Envious man receives a perverse sense of satisfaction from his neighbor’s greater loss, despite his own self-harm. This offers a dark insight into the extremes of envy, where causing harm to others can be perceived as a personal victory, even at one’s own expense.
Additional Interpretations and Insights:
Consequences of Comparison: The tale warns of the dangers of comparing oneself to others. Both the Avaricious and the Envious man base their desires on outdoing the other, which only leads to their own downfall.
Perception of Wealth and Success: The Avaricious man’s grief arises not from the absence of wealth, but from his perception of his neighbor’s greater wealth. This implies that our understanding of success or wealth is often relative and influenced by comparison with others.
Misguided Retribution: The Envious man’s wish to blind himself in order to make his neighbor completely blind represents misguided retribution. It shows how envy can make us inflict pain on ourselves in an attempt to cause harm to others.
In conclusion, the fable offers a profound lesson about the damaging impact of allowing one’s life to be driven by avarice and envy, as these vices ultimately lead to self-inflicted harm.