NV

Of the seven deadly sins I commit on an hourly basis, Envy ranks somewhere near the tail-end, behind Acedia, whatever the hell that is. Oh, it's discouragement. If I were smarter I would have known that.

I think that envy has a lot going for it. It's less menacing than Greed, and shares but doesn't mimic the Pride's DNA. As befitting its robust, religious heritage, it's fitting to capitalize the word. Example: I Envied the Bishop's delicate handling of the cucumber.

I'm sometimes Envious of intelligence. I have felt my cheeks flush with something beyond admiration after reading a brilliantly crafted short-story, or a well-considered argument that takes words from my mouth.

I have also Envied technical abilities in others, fascinated with their powers of concentration and determination. Even though I've felt Envious, it's rarely been to the point of picking up a wrench/hammer/tool/Band-Aid. Envy mixed with respect doesn't always inspire action.

In college, I used to ask if he/she was smart. Not what they did, but if they were intelligent. I don't ask that anymore, but I feel as though I should. I could care less typically where someone works; it's what they do in their off-hours that defines them.

Gadgetry doesn't impress me too much. My ambivalence isn't calculated or deliberate, I just don't get Envious over new technology. A part of this is because what I own is perfectly serviceable, and in the past ten years, advancements in everything from video games, electric wine openers to MP3 players prove that, if I can wait a little longer, it'll only be more enticing/less expensive.

Before I got my bitch'n Saturn Ion, I used to Envy other cars' ability to start and not pose health-hazards. I admire fancy cars, but you know what? They'll all kill you if left running in a sealed-garage.

I have felt Envious of other men after having been left for one of them, but it's a very vague, undefinable envy. They wound up with her, not me. I can usually invent something about distasteful about them, even if we've never met.

I am Envious of personality traits, real or imagined in some people. Again, it goes beyond admiration and appreciation, and applies to both intro and extroversion, both of which I find very compelling as a person's dominant trait. People that can stir a crowd into a frenzy with cool wit really fascinate me.