Who said “I have no respect for the passion of equality, which seems to me merely idealizing envy.”?

Verified

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceHolmes-Laski Letters : The Correspondence of Mr. Justice Holmes and Harold J. Laski, 1916 - 1935 (1953), Vol. 2, p. 942.

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“I have no respect for the passion of equality, which seems to me merely idealizing envy.”
— Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
VerifiedHolmes-Laski Letters : The Correspondence of Mr. Justice Holmes and Harold J. Laski, 1916 - 1935 (1953), Vol. 2, p. 942. · evidencePassion

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Holmes-Laski Letters : The Correspondence of Mr. Justice Holmes and Harold J. Laski, 1916 - 1935 (1953), Vol. 2, p. 942..

APA

Holmes, O. W. J. (n.d.). I have no respect for the passion of equality, which seems to me merely idealizing envy. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/28611-i-have-no-respect-for-the-passion-of/

MLA

Holmes, Oliver Wendell Jr. “I have no respect for the passion of equality, which seems to me merely idealizing envy.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/28611-i-have-no-respect-for-the-passion-of/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Holmes, Oliver Wendell Jr. “I have no respect for the passion of equality, which seems to me merely idealizing envy.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/28611-i-have-no-respect-for-the-passion-of/.

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“With all humility, I think, ''Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.'' Infinitely more important than the vain attempt to love one's neighbor as one's self. If you want to hit a bird on the wing, you must have all your will in focus, you must not be thinking about yourself, and equally, you must not be thinking about your neighbor: you must be living in your eye on that bird. Every achievement is a bird on the wing.”
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All 16 Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. quotes →