An Engima Called Envy….

I have more dollars than you

A typical trait that comes with every living body and  whosoever claims he is not a victim of jealousy he must be lying. Even animals too blessed with this, saints who have given up all material attachments suffer from this ailment. Well this is quite natural and a pure animal instinct like eating, sleeping, sex and fear. I called this a mystery because of the complications attached to this quintessential feature. The more closer the relationship higher the degree of jealousy, and vice versa.

Carlos Slim might have added few more Bugatti’s into his convey, but that does not matter to me, I even do not care if that guy has coughed up few billions in the run-up to world’s richest person. What concerns me more is my closest neighbor bought a Volkswagen hatchback, while I still have a small Suzuki one. People won’t tolerate their own, siblings, children or even parent’s success let alone dearest friends. In case of working spouses one partner can’t digest others promotion in office though they never express their emotion for the sake of family. Why are we so mean, sometime the envy pushes us to limits, we would prefer to see others failure even complete finish off rather than a small success.

The local folklore and idioms are even more satirical, while a popular one suggests, a wife would even prefer death of her husband just to ensure her husband’s other female partners become widow. Another one is a short story where an angel gives a boon to a person “if he desires something, his neighbor would receive double of what he receives”. Ultimately, he asks for half death for himself killing his neighbor calmly. However, the incitement to achieve something for one’s self, could be a peculiar upside of this intimate feeling.

Let’s Share

There is one more kind of jealousy, when two different known but unrelated people can’t tolerate the fact that other person have another friend. In fact they share a different kind of camaraderie, emotionally attached to each other though personally yet to bond. Nevertheless, the main reason behind this wild emotion is non-participation or shareholding. Till the time we consider others’ success as alien to us we would continue to envy them, “Owners’ Pride, Neighbor’s Envy”. The moment success has a share-holding of all, everybody takes the pride and no place of other’s jealousy then. Though the onus lies on the legitimate owner of the success, to make others feel as part of them. This is a good trick though to avoid jealousy within close circles. As long as a spouse’s promotion guarantees family trip abroad that’s really fun.