«اِلْعِينْ مَا تِكْرَهْشِي إِلَّا احْسَنْ مِنْهَا»

Here 'the eye' means the person who watches and compares, not the evil eye unless context clearly signals it. The proverb holds that resentment points upward: what stirs dislike is someone whose position, fortune, or qualities surpass the onlooker's own. A variant says 'higher' rather than 'finer', stressing rank or status.

From this comes a consolation. If someone bears you a grudge, that grudge can be read as a sign you stand above them, so there is little reason to be wounded by it.

Say it to someone upset by another person's hostility, to recast that ill will as envy and a backhanded tribute to their success. It also suits wry remarks about a rival's grudge. Avoid using it to dismiss objections that might be legitimate.