A brass compass stands beside a green beetle ornament on a coiled wire and dark cloth.

Original artwork, not a still

Robert Heinlein

A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

According to this view, anyone truly capable and self-assured simply can't feel jealous, and jealousy always points to a shaky, anxious sense of self. It's a bold, sweeping claim that treats envy as a sign of inner doubt rather than a normal emotion.

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