Envy is the only effective spur to action. Psychology 101 right there.
Really, mab? What is one to make of those who are motivated by fear or love or duty and so on? Are we to understand that beneath all those varied emotions there is always envy driving one on?
The classy young thing ditches the bum, takes up with her new beau, and envy carries the day. What is wrong with that enterprising spirit? Fact is, the gospels report that JC grew envious at times as well, envious of the fact that the bulk of humanity were card carrying members of the Devils party instead of his own. Text book illustration of jealousy. The Prince of Darkness was the spiritual head of nine tenths of human souls and that drove him up the wall. Ditto for Buddah, for Mo, for all God's chillun. Envy can take a spiritual form as well. It's called the free market of ideas. Are you against that?
It seems we are need of a common definition of envy before we can continue. I am not sure that the term can be spread so widely but please do tell me why you think every desire to improve oneself is a thinly veiled bout of envy.
And, to reply to what you said in another post, my contention is not that we can be rid of envy for all mankind. Let us leave the whole of mankind aside. Can you grant that there may even be just one person that can live without being envious of their fellow humans?
I do not know whether it is possible to not be envious, but I find it hard to believe that absolutely everybody must behave the same way.