Psychology of envy: 5 keys to understanding it

What is envy and what psychological problems can it cause?

"I wish I had it too," "I should have gotten it myself," "Why did he/she and I didn't?" These and similar phrases have been thought and expressed by a great many people throughout their lives.

They all have one thing in common: they express the desire to possess something that is not possessed by oneself but by others.. In other words, all these expressions refer to envy. The following is a brief analysis of the meaning of envy, as well as what some researches reflect about it.

Defining envy

When we talk about envy we refer to a feeling of Pain and frustration. envy due to the non-possession of a good, characteristic, relationship or desired event that we would like to have and that another person does possess, seeing this situation as unfair.

Thus, we can consider that for envy to appear, there are three basic conditions, the first being that there must be someone outside the individual who possesses a good, characteristic or specific achievement, the second that this phenomenon, characteristic or possession is the object of desire for the individual and finally, the third condition is that a feeling of discomfort, frustration or pain appears before the comparison between the two subjects.

The feeling of envy arises from another feeling, that of inferiority, in the face of the comparison between subjects. In general, feelings of envy are directed towards people who are at levels and strata relatively similar to one's own, since individuals far removed from one's own characteristics do not usually arouse the feeling of inequality that someone with circumstances similar to one's own can provoke.

Considered as one of the seven deadly sins by various religious denominations, this feeling implies a focus on the characteristics of others, obviating one's own qualities.. It is an obstacle to the establishment of a healthy relationship, undermining interpersonal relationships, as well as the maintenance of a positive self-esteem.

1. Different types of envy

However, the question arises as to whether envy is the same in all people, a question that seems to have a negative answer.

This is due to what is known as healthy envy. This term refers to a type of envy focused on the envied element, without wishing any harm to the person who possesses it. In contrast, pure envy involves the belief that we are more deserving of the object of desire than the one we envy, and may produce joy at the failure of the latter.

2. Disadvantages to be taken into account

Envy has traditionally been conceptualized as a negative element, due to the deep discomfort it causes together with the hostile relationship it implies towards other people, which is related to lack of self-esteem and the fact that it comes from the feeling of inferiority and inequity. Likewise, according to numerous studies, envy may be behind the existence and creation of prejudices..

Likewise, envy towards other people can lead to defensive reactions in the form of irony, mockery, heteroaggressiveness (i.e. aggressiveness directed at other people, whether physical or psychological) and narcissism. It is common for envy to turn into resentment, and if it is a prolonged situation it can lead to depressive disorders. It can also induce feelings of guilt in people who are aware of their envy (which correlates with the desire for the envied person to do badly), as well as anxiety and stress.

3. Evolutionary sense of envy

However, although all these considerations have a scientific basis, envy can also be used in a positive way..

Envy seems to have an evolutionary meaning: this feeling has driven competition for resources and the generation of new strategies and tools, elements that have been essential for survival since the beginning of mankind.

Likewise, in this sense envy of a situation that we consider unfair can motivate us to try to reach a situation of equity in areas such as labor (for example, in the workplace). in areas such as the workplace (for example, it can lead us to fight to reduce wage differences, avoid favored treatment or establish clear promotion criteria).

4. Neurobiology of envy

Reflecting on envy may lead to the question, What happens in our brain when we envy someone?

This reflection has led to a number of experiments. Thus, a series of experiments carried out by researchers at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Japan have shown that the feeling of envy activates various areas of the brain involved in the perception of physical pain. Similarly, when volunteers were asked to imagine that the envied subject suffered a failure, dopamine release was triggered in brain areas of the ventral striatum, activating the brain's reward mechanism. Furthermore, the results show that the intensity of the perceived envy correlated with the pleasure obtained from the envied subject's failure.

5. Jealousy and envy: fundamental differences

It is relatively frequent, especially when the object of desire is a relationship with someone, that envy and jealousy are used interchangeably to refer to the feeling of frustration caused by not enjoying that personal relationship.

The reason that envy and jealousy are often confused is that they usually occur together.. That is to say, jealousy occurs towards people who are considered to have more attractiveness or qualities than oneself, so that the supposed rival is envied. However, these are two concepts that, although related, do not refer to the same thing.

The main difference is that while envy is related to an attribute or element that one does not possess, jealousy occurs when one fears the loss of an element that one does have (generally personal relationships). Likewise, another difference can be found in the fact that envy is between two people (envied and subject who envies) with respect to an element, in the case of jealousy a triadic relationship is established (person with jealousy, person with respect to whom jealousy is felt and third person who could take away the second person). The third difference would be found in the fact that jealousy comes together with a feeling of betrayal, while in the case of envy this does not usually happen.