Related emotions with subtle differences
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There are subtle but important differences between the emotions of envy andjealousy.
It can be confusing as people can feel envy and jealousy at the same time.
In relationships, jealousy can be a reaction to a perceived threat to the relationship.
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It reported on the results of two experiments that empirically investigated the difference.
The first experiment had subjects recall personal experiences where they felt envious or jealous.
The second experiment had subjects read stories that invoked these feelings.
The results showed qualitative differences between envy and jealousy.
Specifically, envy was characterized by feelings of disapproval of the emotion, inferiority, longing and resentment.
A characteristic of envy is wanting what someone else has.
It is different from jealousy as it doesnt commonly involve feelings of betrayal, anger or rage.
Unlike envy, jealousy typically involves three parties.
Jealousy is when you feel threatened that someone will take away something you already have.
That something is typically aperson, such as a romantic partner.
Another difference between jealousy and envy is that jealousy does not always involve a sense ofinferiority.
Specifically, the person you are jealous of may not have something you lack and desire.
In other words, it’s possible for you to be jealous of someone you are not envious of.
Most people have heard of the terms jealous boyfriend or jealous girlfriend.
Jealousy can also occur in non-romantic relationships.
The results showed that the infants behaved negatively when they observed this.
The study concluded that we may experience jealousy as early as 6 months of age.
Another example is when a parent feels jealous of their nanny as they spend more time with their child.
Is Jealousy Worse Than Envy?
Humans are emotional creatures.
It is completely normal and healthy to feel jealous and envious every now and then.
Both are unpleasant feelings that are difficult to experience and manage.
It is possible to feel jealousy and envy simultaneously.
One feeling does not have to come before the other.
For instance, you feel jealous that your partner is having a lot of late-night meetings with their co-worker.
However, you are also envious of the co-workers good looks and success.
The feelings of envy can worsen the feelings of jealousy.
They can become aggressive and verbally abusive.
Treatment involves medication, therapy and interventions that focus on improving the self-esteem of both partners.
However, constantly feeling envious can also be detrimental to your emotional and mental well-being.
It can make you feel inadequate and believe youre not good enough.
Tips to Manage Envy and Jealousy
Envy and jealousy are challenging emotions.
They can help you understand your emotions and provide you with healthy ways to cope.
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