on ENVY and JEALOUSY


Many people are unaware of the difference between envy and jealousy.

Envy is a positive attitude and can motivate you to greater heights. For example, if your best friend has a CGPA of 3.8, it is natural for you to feel a little envious and it may well make you study harder from now on.

Jealousy on the other hand is a negative attitude. Feeling jealous may move you to do negative things like sabotaging your friend, bad-mouthing her, and etc.

In so far as both envy and jealousy are affective, that is, they pertain to your feelings, you can control them because you are one of those intelligent and mature enough to realise that your mind controls your feelings. If, however, you find that your feelings control your mind, you are are still thinking with your "reptilian brain" (medula oblongata) and not your "higher" brain (cerebrum and cerebellum). You will need to change this.

After all, it is through our mind, that we are in control of our life and actions. It is we, who decide whether we want to let something upset us or not. Yes, I did say "let." Because unless we give permission for a feeling like jealousy to affect us, we are still in charge of our lives.

What are your thoughts?