The new, well-heeled denizens of the East End may admire, even envy, the plucky resilience and anarchic independence of the legend.

ECONOMIST: Wild wild East

As now practiced in New York, zoning and its achievements have become the envy of other cities, even Paris.

WSJ: Zoning Laws Grow Up | By Julie V. Iovine

And throughout this period, the economic engine of the U.S. remained the envy of the world, even now in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

FORBES: Paul Ryan's Budget is Not Nearly as Radical as the Status Quo

Psychologists believe this is because by admitting envy, we lessen our status even more (and thus our ability to compete).

FORBES: The Real Reason You're Jealous of Your Friend's Success

American business travelers used to come back from Europe with cellular envy. (Let's not even get into Asia.) For years European carriers had snazzier names, like Movistar and Orange.

FORBES: Magazine Article

But public funding of universities is too low to allow it, and the envy that runs deep in most human beings would make it tricky to manage even if Himalayas of cash were available.

ECONOMIST: A sorry state