`Geronda, why the passion of envy is found at women more than at men ?`
`Because the woman has uprooted in her nature much kindness and love and the devil fights against her a lot: he throws at her the poisonous envy and poisons her love. When her love is poisonous and becomes malice then the woman turns from a bee into a hornet and the woman overtakes the man in toughness.
While for a man it is enough if the undesirable person goes away from him, for not seeing that one anymore, the woman, who was gifted by God at creation with a lot of affection, is not content with the disappearance of the person she envies, she would like to see that one dead. To have sure solutions!
I have been always afraid of malice, because when it is mixed up with envy and stubbornness can lead to a demonic state.
After that the man doesn`t take God into account anymore and turns into a real demon. He torments the others and torments himself as well and he will suffer for an eternity – may God forbid that! – if he doesn`t give up on envy.
The woman must be very careful at envy. She must empty her love of any selfishness so that the big love she has will remain pure.
`How can she reach that?`
`If she overcomes her paltriness and cultivate courage and spiritual nobleness and sacrifice. Nobleness is the antidote of envy. But unfortunately a few are those who have nobleness.
Excerpt from Passions and virtues – Pious Paisios the Athonite, Evanghelismos Publishing.
