Envy and Jealousy: why do they exist?

This is a part of our 7 Deadly Sins through the lens of Evolution.

Envy revolves around what others possess, leading to a desire for similar possessions or advantages. Jealousy centers on the potential loss of something valuable to a rival, leading to feelings of possessiveness and insecurity.

Envy and jealousy are two distinct but closely related emotions that are often confused. While they both involve feelings of discontentment and comparison with others

Do we have a centre in our brain that controls the Sins? Or can we look at them through our evolutionary past, neuroscience and psychology?

The Origin of Sin

The sins we experience activate very precise parts of our brain, making us feel pleasure or pain. The bad feeling sins like envy and anger trigger a part of the brain that detects conflicts in our dorsal cortex. And when it comes to feel-good sins like gluttony and lust they light up the nucleus accumbens and hypothalamus, deep within the brain. The social sins like feeling proud and jealous, recruit the medial prefrontal cortex, hanging out right behind your forehead (this area is like your brain's self-awareness). So, in our brain each sin has its own role to play and very clear origin that doesn't involve a garden. (1)

Envy and jealousy have plagued mankind since time immemorial. From Cain's infamous envy of his brother Abel to Othello's jealous rage in Shakespeare's tragedy, these two emotions have driven people to commit terrible acts across history. But what exactly triggers envy and jealousy? And how do they compel people to think, feel, and act differently? Recent psychological research is shedding new light on these age-old emotions.

At first glance, envy and jealousy seem quite similar. Both involve feeling discontent about what someone else has. However, psychologists have identified key distinctions. Envy is a reaction to lacking someone else's superior quality, achievement, or possession. It doesn't necessarily involve a relationship between the two people. Jealousy, conversely, always involves a triangle between the self, a valued person, and a perceived rival. It flares when there's a threat of losing that valued person or the exclusive relationship with them.

Envy is not Jelaousy

At first glance, envy and jealousy seem quite similar. Both involve feeling discontent about what someone else has. However, psychologists have identified key distinctions.

Envy is a reaction to lacking someone else's superior quality, achievement, or possession. It doesn't necessarily involve a relationship between the two people.

Jealousy, conversely, always involves a triangle between the self, a valued person, and a perceived rival. It flares when there's a threat of losing that valued person or the exclusive relationship with them.

Though distinct, envy and jealousy are closely intertwined.

Envying someone's lifestyle or possessions can spark worries that your romantic partner will desire the same.

Feeling envious of a work rival's promotion may bring fears that they're after your job. Both envy and jealousy are uncomfortable for most people. Fortunately, evolutionary psychology provides insights into their functions.

Evolution of Envy

Envy evolved as a push for self-improvement. When our ancestors saw someone with a better hunting tool or more fertile land, feeling envious motivated them to obtain the same advantage. According to anthropologists, envy encourages groups to enforce fairness and punish those who hoard resources. It also compels people to emulate those with desirable traits and valuable possessions.

Feeling envious drives people to work harder, make positive changes, and succeed in competitive environments.

However, envy also has a darker side. Envious hostility toward more successful people is believed to be a leading cause of sorcery accusations and social conflict in small-scale societies. Extreme envy can fuel discrimination, sabotage, and violence across cultural contexts.

The Purpose of Jealousy

Jealousy likely evolved as a mechanism to guard valuable relationships and resources. Among our early ancestors, jealous feelings helped prevent cheating by romantic partners and protect vulnerable offspring who needed substantial parental investment.

Researchers have found that jealousy activates brain regions involved in vigilance, threat detection, and fear conditioning. Jealousy is an emotional alarm bell essential for survival and reproduction.

Modern social scientists argue that some jealousy can be beneficial. Mild pangs of jealousy occasionally reaffirm a partner's love and commitment. More intense jealousy can inspire renewed relationship investment and prevent a valued lover's defection. However, extreme and chronic jealousy has well-documented costs. At its worst, morbid jealousy drives domestic violence, stalking, and marital breakdown.

Men vs Woman: Gender Differences in Envy and Jealousy

Popular stereotypes hold that men are more prone to jealousy, while women are more envious. But the research paints a more nuanced picture of gender differences. Most studies indicate that men and women experience envy equally often. However, there are disparities in what tends to provoke feelings of envy.

Men report more envy regarding competition and social status. Women are more likely to envy physical attractiveness.

These patterns reflect differences in cultural values and socialization. With jealousy, several studies confirm men's greater tendency to become jealous about sexual infidelity. Fear of cuckoldry and unknowingly raising another man's child helps explain this effect. Women, on the other hand, often express more jealousy over emotional infidelity. Losing a partner's investment, affection, and resources would have jeopardised ancient mothers who needed the men to provide. Modern women likewise report greater upset when a partner becomes emotionally attached to a rival versus solely sexual.

Bad Envy or Good Envy

Envy's effects on social behavior depend heavily on the envier's personality and circumstances. In workplace settings, envious people are more likely to withhold helpful information from successful colleagues, display schadenfreude when the successful stumble, and even sabotage others' progress. If a rival at work lands a promotion we wanted, envy can compel us to spread nasty gossip about them. We may go out of our way to charm the boss in hopes of regaining superior status. Feeling envious of our supervisor's cushy job may decrease our motivation.

However, envy doesn't always bring out people's worst instincts. Studies also find it often spurs socially beneficial outcomes. Envious salespeople strive harder to improve their performance and exceed their rival. Students who envy their peers' academic success tend to work harder and get better grades over time. Even in non-Western societies, anthropologists note that envy frequently inspires emulation of successful members. People harness the painful feeling to motivate positive action.

Jealousy in Relationships

Like envy, jealousy's effects on behavior depend on the person and situation. Mild jealousy sometimes strengthens relationships in constructive ways.

Couples often report increased closeness, communication, and appreciation of their partner during bouts of mild jealousy.

If someone expresses envy about a friend's tropical vacation, one's partner might plan more couple getaways. In moderation, jealousy reminds us not to take loved ones for granted.

However, extreme and obsessive jealousy corrodes relationships. Partners of overly jealous people often feel controlled, crowded, and constrained. Trying to avoid provoking jealousy can increase secrets and dishonesty. Irrational accusations of infidelity breed resentment and conflict. At its pathological extreme, morbid jealousy is a leading motive for spousal battering and murder. Othello-style violence remains all too common among intensely jealous lovers.

Controling The Green

We can't avoid envy and jealousy. Everyone occasionally feels envious and jealous, given the right triggers. Fortunately, psychological research identifies strategies to keep these emotions from poisoning our minds and relationships.

• Cultivate gratitude: focusing on what we have, rather than what we lack, reduces envy. Jealous fixation on a partner's wrongdoings can decline by regularly recalling positive experiences. Mindfulness meditation helps people accept envy and jealousy with nonjudgmental awareness. This prevents destructive rumination and catastrophe fantasies.

• Environmental interventions: in organizations, policies emphasizing employee recognition defuse envy over coworkers' successes. Transparency regarding pay and promotions is essential. Couples therapy focuses on building mutual trust. Agreements about appropriate opposite-sex friendships are key to easing jealousy. Setting boundaries with a rival suitor helps alleviate suspicious anxieties.

By understanding psychological roots of envy and jealousy we can mitigate the destructive potential of these ancient emotions. With wisdom and work, envy can motivate self-improvement, while jealousy strengthens pair bonds. Our inner green-eyed monsters can yet be tamed.

Refernces:

The orgin of sin:

Source: Discovery Magazine; The Neuroscience of the Seven Deadly Sins by Kat McGowan

Evolution of envy:

Smith, R.H. & Kim, S.H. (2007). Comprehending envy. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 46-64.

The purpose of jealousy:

Buss, D.M. (2018) Sexual and emotional infidelity: Evolved gender differences in jealousy prove robust and replicable. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(2), 155-160.

Men vs Women: Gender differences in envy and jealousy:

Lange, J. & Crusius, J. (2015). Dispositional envy revisited: Unraveling the motivational dynamics of benign and malicious envy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(2), 284-294.

Good Envy or Bad Envy:

Crusius, J. & Lange, J. (2014). What catches the envious eye? Attentional biases within malicious and benign envy. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 55, 1-11.

Jealousy in relationships:

Yoshimura, S.M. (2004). Emotional and behavioral responses to romantic jealousy expressions. Communication Reports, 17(2), 85-101.

Controling the green:

Salovey, P. & Rodin, J. (1988). Coping with envy and jealousy. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 7(1), 15-33.