Sentence:  La Rochefoucauld, the French philosopher, said: "If you want enemies, <WSD>excel</WSD> your friends; but if you want friends, let your friends <WSD>excel</WSD> you." Why is that true? Because when our friends <WSD>excel</WSD> us, that gives them a feeling of importance; but when we <WSD>excel</WSD> them, that gives them a feeling of inferiority and arouses envy and jealousy. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something.