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Envy vs. jealousy

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DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16576.17922

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Envy vs. jealousy
Domina Petric, MD

can be understood as an outgrowth of envy

ABSTRACT in certain situations. Envy and

Shadenfreude are very similar and are
Aim is to discuss the difference between
linked emotional states. Both emotions are
envy and jealousy.
considered very complex and often times
looked down upon, which is
understandable considering they are both
INTRODUCTION
antisocial behaviors (3).˝
Although envy and jealousy are sometimes
Prerequisite for becoming envious is to
considered synonyms, these two terms
give up your own values. Envious people
differ from psychological and
give up their own values and then fill this
philosophical perspective.
emptiness with envy. Sometimes people
that where traumatized and understimated
give up their own values, develop low self-
ENVY
esteem with strong inferiority complex,
˝Envy is an emotion which occurs when a and then finally start to envy others who
person lacks another´s superior quality, did not give up their own values.
achievement, or possession and either
Envy is very powerful core of negativity
desires it or wishes that the other lacked it
and can cause clusters of negative
(1). Aristotle defined envy as pain at the
emotions and thoughts to accumulate in an
sight of another´s good fortune, stirred by
envious individual. The great illusion of
those who have what we ought to have.
envy is that the misfortune of others will
Bertrand Russel said that envy was one of
make the envious individual to feel better.
the most potent causes of unhappiness. Not
This feeling of false happiness
only is the envious person rendered
(Shadenfreude) is nothing but explosion of
unhappy by his or her envy, Russel
malice. Envy is a trap for the envy
explained, but that person may also wish to
individual and stops the personal
inflict misfortune on others, in forms of
developing. Envy is the killer of positive
emotional abuse and violent acts of
emotions and thoughts.
criminality (2). Shadenfreude means taking
pleasure in the misfortune of others and

1
JEALOUSY losing someone or something that is of
great value.
˝Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts
or feelings of insecurity, fear, concern, Obsessive jealousy is pathological feeling

over relative lack of possessions, status or that is seen in neurotic individuals and

something of great personal value, individuals with obsessive compulsive

particularly in reference to a comparator, a disorder.

rival, or a competitor. Jealousy can consist ˝Pathological jealousy, also known as

of one or more emotions such Morbid jealousy, Othello syndrome
as anger, resentment, inadequacy, or delusional jealousy, is a psychological
helplessness or disgust. In its original disorder in which a person is preoccupied
meaning, jealousy is distinct from envy, with the thought that their spouse or sexual
though the two terms have popularly partner is being unfaithful without having
become synonymous in the English any real proof, along with socially
language, with jealousy now also taking on unacceptable or abnormal behaviour
the definition originally used for envy related to these thoughts. The most
alone. Jealousy is a typical experience common cited forms of psychopathology
in human relationships, and it has been in morbid jealousy are delusions and
observed in infants as young as five obsessions. It is considered a subtype
months (4, 5, 6, 7). of delusional disorder (9).

Romantic jealousy arises as a result of Although obsessive jealousy is a highly

romantic interest. It is defined as a
complex of thoughts, feelings, and actions
that follow threats to self-esteem and/or
threats to the existence or quality of the
relationship when those threats
generated by the perception of a real or
potential romantic attraction between one's
partner and a (perhaps imaginary) rival
(8).˝
disturbing disorder, frequently it goes
unrecognized, as most attention is paid to
delusional jealousy, being the more
prominent clinical phenomenon. Unlike
are delusional jealousy, characterized by the
presence of strong, false beliefs that the
partner is unfaithful, individuals with
obsessive jealousy suffer from unpleasant
and irrational jealous ruminations that the

Jealousy can actually be a healthy feeling partner could be unfaithful, accompanied

associated with love and caring about by compulsive checking of partners'

someone or something. It can be a healthy behaviour, which is recognised by the

defense mechanism when there is a risk for patient as ego-dystonic. This jealousy

2
resembles obsessive-compulsive
phenomenology more closely. Despite the
differences, both forms of jealousy result
in significant distress for patients and
intimate relationships, and carry the risk of
abuse, homicide and/or suicide. Delusional
jealousy is a psychotic disorder and should
be treated mainly with antipsychotics,
while obsessive jealousy resembles
obsessive-compulsive disorder and should
be treated with SSRIs and cognitive-
behavioural therapy. Regardless of the
presence or absence of insight into the
disorder, one of the key factors in the
treatment of pathological jealousy is to
motivate the sufferers for pharmacological
and psychotherapeutic interventions (10).˝
DISCUSSION
˝Although popular culture often uses
jealousy and envy as synonyms, modern
philosophers and psychologists have
argued for conceptual distinctions between
jealousy and envy. For example,
philosopher John Rawls distinguishes
between jealousy and envy on the ground
that jealousy involves the wish to keep
what one has, and envy the wish to get
what one does not have. Thus, a child is
jealous of her parents' attention to a
sibling, but envious of her friend's new
bicycle (11). Psychologists Laura Guerrero
and Peter Andersen have proposed the
same distinction. They claim the jealous
person perceives that he or she possesses a
valued relationship, but is in danger of
losing it or at least of having it altered in
an undesirable manner, whereas the
envious person does not possess a valued
commodity, but wishes to possess it (12).
Gerrod Parrott draws attention to the
distinct thoughts and feelings that occur in
jealousy and envy.
The common experience of jealousy for
many people may involve: fear of loss,
suspicion of or anger about a perceived
betrayal, low self-esteem and sadness over
perceived loss, uncertainty and loneliness,
fear of losing an important person to
another and distrust.
The experience of envy involves feelings
of inferiority, longing, resentment of
circumstances, ill will towards envied
person often accompanied by guilt about
these feelings, motivation to improve,
desire to possess the attractive rival's
qualities and disapproval of feelings.
Parrot acknowledges that people can
experience envy and jealousy at the same
time. Feelings of envy about a rival can
even intensify the experience of jealousy
(13, 14, 15).˝
3
CONCLUSION REFERENCES

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