in the sense that i set those attributes as goals for myself. my envy certainly doesn't include a wish that those whose traits or possessions i admire would themselves lose them. is this form of envy still a sin?


Is that really envy? To me, the sentiment you describe does not mock the meat it feeds on, and yes, I know that Willie used jealousy there. Like you, I use the word envy in a similar way, but if I were to be more precise, I would say that "I admire your x, and I wish that I had similar x", instead of "I envy you your x."