Jealousy

I haven't seen this thread until now. I found some old one, dug through it, and decided to just move everything over here. Brand new start, starting today:

From this moment on, my thoughts are reserved for a select few—the privileged ones.

I’m done sharing good news with people who don't matter, and I'm definitely done giving my opinion on their shallow little takes.

I really thought I’d filtered out the dead weight over the years, but I was wrong. I screwed up again. So, I upgraded the filter. Today.

Think about it: do you really want people in your life who are nothing but jealous? People who constanty whine without any actual reason? Or those who might try, but can't wrap their heads around what you're saying, so they shut you down with condescending lines like "you're acting too smart" or "stop philosophizing"? Why deal with people who tell you something great is actually bad? Or the types you realize—maybe you knew all along—are constantly breathing down your neck, but you tolerated them because you were being naive and "kind." Think about the people who leave you feeling drained and miserable, even if you couldn't quite put your finger on why. Maybe you did know, but you were too scared to admit it. Get rid of them. Get rid of the envious looks, the shallow minds, the pathetic losers... that whole toxic byproduct of human misery. Kick that garbage out of your life and leave it where it belongs: in the trash. It has no business being near us. Honestly, as much as I'm pissed off, exhausted, and drowning in negativity right now, I'm actually grateful for the trash. Because it's only by dealing with bottom-feeders like that that you actually learn what a decent human being looks like.

Trying to stir up all this jealousy would actually make sense if we were all carbon copies of each other.
But we aren't!
What you’ve got, I’ll probably never touch, and vice versa!☕
So what, am I supposed to just sit here and lose my mind over that? 😵
I'm hanging out with an Afro right now, so go ahead and be jealous. 😁

silvercyclist69 said:When you say it "gets to you," what does that actually look like? Do you find yourself engaging with those types of people, or do you just steer clear?
I can't help but wonder if that old saying, "birds of a feather flock together," actually holds true for everyone.

I try to avoid them—but honestly, the tricky part about adult life is that work and all those other obligations mean you're forced to cross paths with all sorts of people. You run into them at the office, even at family reunions and stuff.

silvercyclist69 said:Envy is such a fascinating emotion to pick apart. We all feel it at some point, but I’m constantly wondering where we draw the line—when do we decide to actually lash out at someone because of what they have, and when do we just let it go? It seems like there's a massive divide here. You look at incredibly successful, wealthy people, and they rarely deal with this kind of resentment; instead, people tend to openly admire their achievements and their status. But then, on the flip side, you see certain individuals who get constant backlash and targeted simply because of their success. What’s the actual driver behind that? There’s this deep-seated concept of petty jealousy that pops up whenever one person gains even the slightest edge over another. It stems from those tiny, incremental differences between us. We like to tell ourselves we all started on a level playing field, which leads to that nagging thought: "If we all had the same shot, how did they end up getting ahead of me?" It’s strange to me how, in certain parts of the country, people will shower praise on criminals, folks who just moved in for quick cash, or career politicians, yet they’ll turn around and openly resent someone who is genuinely educated, hardworking, and building something legitimate. Where does that disconnect come from?

American society is basically built on upside-down values—ethically, morally, legally... you name it. In a place like this, you just have to expect all kinds of anomalies because the whole "order" and legal system we follow is pretty much an illusion at its core...
We’ve basically ended up with this massive class divide—you know, the classic split between the people who have everything and those who are just struggling to get by. Since there’s zero balance in the system, it’s turned into this toxic cycle... you’ve got one group feeling nothing but pure resentment because they see what others have and feel like life's been totally unfair to them, while the ones at the top? They just look down on everyone else with this total sense of superiority, knowing exactly how much power and luck they're sitting on... it's a mess...
When you factor in the total disaster that is our justice system, combined with the messy state administration and a government that’s basically just incompetent—plus all the cronyism... honestly, it couldn't be any worse...
Plus, let's be real—American society is pretty uneducated. And I don't mean that in a "did you go to college" kind of way, either... I’m talking about that actual, lived wisdom—that awareness of yourself, the people around you, and how the world actually works. We’re seriously lacking in that department over here...
That’s why people in America just can't seem to celebrate when someone else wins... It's like they haven't quite grasped that success isn't just about how much stuff you own or the size of your bank account. When you lack that sense of inner worth or actual self-respect, seeing someone else thrive feels like a personal attack on your own ego. Like, if someone has more material wealth than me, it suddenly means they're a "better" or "more valuable" person—and since everyone else measures life on this rigid social ladder, it makes you feel like you're just failing at life in general. So, the natural defense mechanism against all that frustration? Just trying to tear the other person down. People try to minimize what others have achieved or even sabotage a great project that could actually benefit the whole community... just because they're terrified of anything changing the status quo...

Everything that applies to an individual can be applied to society too—and if we’re being totally honest, our nation is acting like one big, massive psychological wreck... It’s like we just can't face reality or see the fallout from our own actions. There's zero moral accountability here. Everyone wants the quick fix without actually putting in the sweat or the work, which feels pretty narcissistic if you ask me. We all act like victims, thinking we're somehow entitled to more or better than everyone else just because... well, why not? It's basically just one giant, immature personality with a really narrow view of how the world actually works...

If we’re being real about what "success" actually looks like, I’d say having your health, a roof over your head, and food in the fridge makes us pretty successful people—especially if you’ve got a steady paycheck, solid health insurance, a retirement plan, some downtime, and the chance to hang out with friends or keep learning stuff... that's a pretty good life in my book. But if you define success by having $10,000 sitting in a savings account or driving around in a luxury car, you’re basically signing up to be miserable and frustrated for the rest of your life. You end up ignoring everything else that actually matters, and let's face it—most people just can't afford a high-end ride in their garage. When we chase those kinds of unrealistic goals, we lose touch with reality... and honestly, if you start getting aggressive and trying to key your neighbor's car because you're feeling inadequate, you probably need to see a therapist...

silvercyclist69 said:Envy is such a fascinating emotion to pick apart. We all feel it at some point, but I’m constantly wondering where we draw the line—when do we decide to actually lash out at someone because of what they have, and when do we just let it go? It seems like there's a massive divide here. You look at incredibly successful, wealthy people, and they rarely deal with this kind of resentment; instead, people tend to openly admire their achievements and their status. But then, on the flip side, you see certain individuals who get constant backlash and targeted simply because of their success. What’s the actual driver behind that? There’s this deep-seated concept of petty jealousy that pops up whenever one person gains even the slightest edge over another. It stems from those tiny, incremental differences between us. We like to tell ourselves we all started on a level playing field, which leads to that nagging thought: "If we all had the same shot, how did they end up getting ahead of me?" It’s strange to me how, in certain parts of the country, people will shower praise on criminals, folks who just moved in for quick cash, or career politicians, yet they’ll turn around and openly resent someone who is genuinely educated, hardworking, and building something legitimate. Where does that disconnect come from?

First off, let's be real: we don't all start from the same place. No two people are identical, and we certainly don't all come from the same backgrounds.

Secondly, regarding that bolded part—I'm not sure you and I are living in the same America given that generalization, though I'm certain we aren't moving in the same social circles, because I truly don't know anyone who admires criminals or politicians. And I'm not quite sure how you're grouping expatriates into that mix.😁 I assume there are plenty of educated, honest, and hardworking people among them too.

When it comes to envy, you have to be careful not to confuse it with simply wanting what someone else has. Just wanting something—like seeing a neighbor's new car and thinking, "Man, I'd love one of those"—isn't envy. Envy goes a step further; it's the feeling that I have just as much right to that car as my neighbor does, or that he doesn't deserve it at all while I do. In my own mind, of course. It’s almost like a triangle involving me, the car, and the neighbor. Three factors at play. Deep down, it's really about a desire to avoid feeling inferior to someone else. And whether that inferiority is real or imagined doesn't matter, because it all boils down to the perception of the person feeling envious. You can't really talk someone out of being envious by listing their accomplishments... because it's about how they feel. Personally, I think people who are habitually envious lack a solid sense of self-worth, so they can only judge their own value by comparing themselves to others.

But envy isn't necessarily a monster. It can be bad, sure, but it all depends on how you handle it and what you take from it. If you use it as a compass for your own desires or as motivation to achieve something, then it's actually useful. As long as those goals are realistic... and not, say, deciding to go bankrupt just to buy an overpriced car just to prove a point to the guy next door. 😁