Fandango’s Provocative Question 103

Is jealousy purely a negative and potentially destructive emotion, or does jealousy have any value as a motivator to drive people to improve themselves?

Jealousy is one of those emotions that is purely negative; nothing good has ever been done in the name of jealousy. Destruction has no bounds when it is done out of jealousy; people have lost love, life and limb over it.

I believe what Fandango meant when he asked if jealousy has any value, had the word envy in mind. There is a fine line between jealousy and envy. Both emotions are similar in nature, but envy is what a person can use as a motivating factor to improve themselves. But jealousy has selfish connotations.

You know what piss me off about people who are jealous of another; is that they have just as much or even more then the person that they are jealous of.

I remember a scene from a movie. The star Basketball player, an over sexed magnet for the affections of many women, having the pick of the litter and getting everything, they had to offer. Decides to sleep with his best friend’s woman. His best friend, a nerdy book worm who is not a Casanova and his object of desire was that one woman. Not only did this star Basketball player sleep with the woman, but he did it in a setting knowing that his friend will show up and catch them.  

This is the nature of jealousy. The star Basketball player, who isn’t lacking in the area of love and affection; see his friend who does not have the same opportunities to pick and choose; landed someone who reciprocates his love and affection desires. Instead of being happy and supportive, becomes jealous of his friend’s relationship, and made it his goal to break them up.

A crude example but art imitates life. People should work on themselves, raise their self-esteem, make their own goals and go out and accomplish all they can. Stop looking at what the next person has, because one does not know what that person did to get what they have. Go out and get your own.