As Charlie Munger says, envy is the only one of the seven deadly sins that has no upside (isn't even fun).
There's a difference between pursuing what you want independent of particular concern for what others have, and pursuing something because someone else has it. The end result upon acquisition is entirely different. It's similar to fame or prestige in that sense, which are given to you by other people's often fleeting opinions, and are frequently torturous accordingly to the extent one cares about such.
Most people don't really want things until they think they are getting the short end of the stick.