Envy - who does not know this feeling? Nightmare, all-consuming and exciting, it is even considered mortal sin. In China, envy was called "red-eye disease", in ancient Rome it was said that a person "turned blue with envy, " and in Russia they say "turned green." But how much can it be considered an innate quality?
What is envy
When a person feels envy, he clearly experiences his own imperfection. We can say that he feels resentment against himself. When someone in everything is better than you, when you feel that the successes and achievements of the other person would have to go to you (you deserve it!), You feel terrible.
It is believed that there is a "white" and "black" envy. White is when you are envious, but happy. But this is a misunderstanding of the nature of envy. There is no white envy, if you are happy for another person, then you experience admiration. This is a good feeling that inspires you to your own achievements. Envy always deprives one of strength. Of course, you can feel these two feelings at the same time.
It is important to note that the presence of envy is due to the fact that a person has a rather high opinion of himself. He really feels that these achievements are on his shoulder, and it may well be that it is so. And envy is a marker. When you feel it, it clearly shows you where you deep down want to strive.
Is this feeling innate or acquired?
This question cannot be answered unequivocally. Each position has both supporters and opponents. Someone thinks that the tendency to envy is genetic in nature. Some go even further, believing that envy is firmly programmed in the human genome. They say that only those who were jealous tried to move forward and ultimately evolved.
Others believe that the first shoots of envy appear in the soul of a child when parents compare it with their peers, wanting to arouse in it an interest in learning or other achievements. The child is dissatisfied with himself, he compares himself with the rest and begins to experience envy.
But it has been precisely noticed that with age envy weakens. For the elderly, some things that have caused them sincere interest in the past become less important. This suggests that envy can be dealt with. Even if it is an innate quality, it can be controlled and you can work with it.