 Not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by their envy, Russell argued, but that person may also wish to inflict misfortune on others to reduce their status.Psychologists distinguish "true" (malicious) envy from benign envy—malicious envy being proposed as an unpleasant emotion that causes the envious person to want to bring down the better-off even at their own cost, while benign envy involves recognition of other's being better-off, but causes the person to aspire to be as good.Psychologists have suggested that real or malicious envy should be distinguished from "benign envy"—malicious envy being proposed as an unpleasant emotion that causes the envious person to want bring down the better-off even at their own cost, while benign envy involves recognition of other's being better-off, but causes the person to aspire to be as good.