Why Envy is the Best Sin

I had a conversation once with a friend of mine about which sin was the most fraudulent of the seven, and we debated for a while before eventually deciding that gluttony was the least deserving of its title. Perhaps that conclusion is not correct, and perhaps I have not fully considered just how much gluttony has to offer, but that is besides the point. During our debate, one sin stood out to me as a definitive "best" sin: Envy. Since that day, the sins have pervaded my mind, and I think about them regularly. I need to talk about this.

There are seven cardinal sins: Sloth, Greed, Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, and Envy. Before discussing why Envy is the best of these seven, we must first overview the other six.

DISCLAIMER: The descriptions I will be providing are the descriptions for when one is completely consumed by that sin. I am aware that sins are not mutually exclusive, but their most depraved state is where a sin shines best.

Sloth is extreme inaction, one so profound that it deteriorates one's life through pure laziness. I have never seen sloth to be the same as apathy, though many traits are shared. Apathy is a lack of care regarding any situation, whereas Sloth is a lack of willpower. A lack of care can pair with that, but it oftentimes doesn't. That's why I believe that Sloth is a sin not for its effect on others, rather, for its effect on the minds of those afflicted with it. Those who exhibit Sloth become powerless in their own bodies as they find themselves warring between a wish to do something and a lack of will to carry it out.

Greed is an extreme desire for wealth, so much that it overtakes all else. When overwhelmed by Greed, a person's sole goal is monetary power. Long gone is the care for any others in life, for status is all that is important. Status and Wealth are commonly intertwined in (my) discourse about Greed, and I think it is because both concepts are entirely man-made. To lose sight of humanity for what has been "contrived" by society is a level of depravity that is plain to see by all.

Pride is a lack of accountability and the belief that one is completely and totally infallible. These are the characteristics of someone who is an insufferable and arrogant douche, and they also cause an immense amount of alienation. As such, people who lose themselves to pride will believe they stand above all others, but they will also likely stand alone. One who is excessively prideful may delude themselves into thinking that they needn't the presence of any others, but humans were not meant to be without companionship.

Lust is the constant and overwhelming chase for sexual gratification, and it often involves the objectification of others. It is an animalistic desire, and is seen as repulsive when overdone. Such sex pests tend to dehumanize both their partners and themselves in the face of pleasure. If you've noticed a pattern of dehumanization through actions or mentality, that's because there is one. All sins---in excess---are depraved in nature, and they cause us to lose something fundamental to humanity. That is why they are sins---this applies even to envy.

Gluttony is overindulgence to the point of uselessness. This is the sin I claimed to be the most fraudulent; maybe I cannot see past the simple definition of just "consuming too much," but is there much more to say? I think Gluttony is just a combination of Sloth and Greed, and (I think) anything bad that can come from Gluttony is either a result of the Sloth or the Greed that make up Gluttony. Overindulgence causes less of something for others? Greed! Overindulgence causes lethargy? Sloth! I just can't think of a scenario where something is exclusively tied to Gluttony, which is strange because all* the other sins (*special case we will get to) can be found in exclusivity.

Wrath is when anger and violence overtakes one's decisions, and it is usually onset by a desire for "retribution" or "justice," though it typically devolves into unjustifiable violence. Pride is insufferable, but Wrath is painful. Wrath is abusive, and it turns away any kind of support, for the aid fears being in harms way. Wrath is simple, it's brutal, and it is undeniably a potent sin.

What makes Envy so special when compared to these titans of the industry? Wrath, Pride, Lust---these are big time sins with heaps and bounds of representation, so how does envy outrank them?

First, it's important to consider how envy stands out among the crowd. In all my previous explanations of what all the other sins were like, I described how one would act/feel if they were completely overtaken by it, and this was done to show how the sins differ from each other when at their most fundamental levels, as their excess leads to purity (or impurity, I guess) in their nature. That was not my only reason, however.

In establishing a pattern, I set up an expectation of a similar explanation of Envy. But... (*Special case I mentioned in Gluttony)... What does an excess of Envy look like? Envy is jealousy or resentment of another being's situation---what happens when one is consumed by that? Do they sit and pout for not getting their way?

No, they don't (well, sometimes they do---if so, it would be sloth). Instead, they do something. Are they envious of a person in power? Well, one may try to climb the ranks to reach that same status (Greed), or they may fall into a depressive spiral for not being able to reach that height (Sloth); perhaps they begin overindulging in something as a coping mechanism for their jealousy (Gluttony). If someone were envious of another for having slept with the person of their dreams, they may make it their mission to sleep with that person (Lust), or perhaps they get angry for the way things have turned out (Wrath). It is perhaps a tad difficult for Envy to lead to Pride, but that is because the two are opposite of each other. One cannot think of others when thinking only of oneself, and one cannot think of oneself when thinking of anything but. Pride is simply going too far in the opposite direction.

What is the point here? My point is that Envy is a catalyst. Every time any sin is carried out, it is because Envy had led to that sin. In fact, Envy is not only a catalyst for sins, but a catalyst for everything.

How may I reach such a preposterous conclusion? Well, no human is free of sin---it's only human nature, after all. That is another reason I described the sins in their excess---to emphasize now that in little amounts, sin can be good for the soul. Finished a project you worked hard on? That deserves Pride. Feeling tired? Take some time off, you deserve a little Sloth every once in a while.

Maybe it's counter-intuitive to say sins can be good for the soul, but I think they are harmful only when in excess. Tired, hungry, proud, angry, wishful---we've all felt these emotions, and it's wrong to say that we were always wrong to feel them. Being tired can come from burnout, hunger from...  Burnout as well, pride from... You get the point. Sometimes, these things are deserved and justifiable. But how does Envy tie into this?

Envy, like all other sins, is not typically found in excess. It was a tad misleading to imply earlier that only an excess of Envy can lead to all the other sins---it does, but it leads to an excess in those other sins. Likewise, a healthy dose of Envy leads to a (relatively) healthy amount of other sins. And what is a healthy, medium-sized amount of Envy? Why, that's want.

Yes, want. To want something is to be envious of something you do not have. I want money? I'm envious of the version of myself who is richer, or perhaps I'm envious of those who already have money. I want sleep? I'm envious of the version of myself that is well-rested, or perhaps a friend who I know sleeps well. I want to stuff my face with Taco Bell's Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes? I'm envious of the version of myself whose stomach is full and whose mind is content. Want can be for another's situation, but the situation does not have to currently exist. The situation can be hypothetical.

Any time want is displayed, Envy is displayed with it because Envy can be extended to everything---even concepts. I could be envious of the concept of nothing for its profound state of non-being, and that would be a valid extension of Envy. Envy is want, and Envy applies to all, and all exist with want, and all actions are based on want, therefore, all actions are derived from Envy.

That sounds bad, but that's only because Envy is labeled as a sin. To say that all is derived from want sounds much more reasonable, because no human exists without want, and all actions are based on a desire to do something, or a desire for something to happen. Without want, we wouldn't do.

Envy is everywhere. All human actions, all man-made things, they exist because someone wanted them to exist. Everything we do is based on desire. Without a desire for anything, we wouldn't do anything, because we would be perfectly content where we are. If I had no desire to write these words about Envy, and nobody had the desire for me to, then I wouldn't.

It is currently 2:18 in the morning. As such, much of the text I've written probably does not seem very cohesive or congruent with itself (This is no longer true as of the 12:03 P.M. revisions (I hope)). So let this be the confirmation message that I have not lost sight of the goal: Explaining why I believe Envy is the best sin. This is a very subjective matter; my argument has to be persuasive. So far, I've not done much besides state that Envy is the root of everything---impressive, for sure, but nothing has been said about why it actually is the "best," only that it is the "most."

Envy doesn't necessarily have to be my favorite for its pervasiveness, but I hold it to be the best because I think want is one of the most vital things about life, right next to change. To be human is one of the greatest things I could ever hope to be (and anything else I could ever hope to be is derived from Envy). I love what it means to be human. I love feeling a desire to change the way things are, and I most certainly love change. That is why I love Envy, and that is why it is the best sin. Only Envy could do what Envy does.

The Seven Cardinal Sins are essential to humanity, for no right could be without wrong. In the case of the sins, right and wrong are not opposite ends of the spectrum---no, right lies between the two ends of the spectrum, and the two ends are polarizing forms of the same reaction. Nothing is good when there is too much of it, and this applies especially to the sins. In the case of the most important sin, Envy, this could not be more true. To want is to be human, and desires are what make us alive. Would life truly be worth living without goals? I don't think so, and that's why I believe Envy is so important (Goals, of course, are things that you want to happen). Make goals. Be envious. Be cautious of extremity, but don't overthink anything. Pride and Envy are opposites on their spectrum, and in the middle of them lies a mix of contentedness and desire. A want to remain and a want to change. To harness both is to live, and that is why Envy is the best sin.