Expect not praise without envy until you are dead.

Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832) was an English cleric-turned-writer best known for his aphoristic collection *Lacon; or, Many Things in Few Words* (1820–1822). The remark fits Colton’s recurring preoccupation with social rivalry, reputation, and the moral hazards surrounding success. In the early nineteenth-century literary marketplace—where authorship, patronage, and public standing were intensely competitive—Colton observed how acclaim often provoked resentment among peers and observers. The line reflects a cynical but pragmatic view of public opinion: while a person is alive and visible, their achievements invite comparison and jealousy; only death tends to soften judgments and allow praise to become uncomplicated.

The aphorism suggests that praise and envy are frequently inseparable in human society. To be admired is also to be measured against, and that comparison can breed resentment in those who feel diminished by another’s success. Colton’s point is not merely pessimistic; it is cautionary. It warns readers not to rely on public approval as a stable reward, and to expect that recognition will carry a social cost while one remains an active competitor in the world. The final clause—“until you are dead”—implies that death ends rivalry and threat, allowing admiration to become safer and more generous, though often too late to benefit its recipient.