• April 26, 2024

All of us at some point have been envious, and to a certain extent it is normal. The important thing is that recognizing it we can choose to regulate it or give free rein to this feeling, which can harm us and even make our body sick.

Envy is cataloged within negative emotions, that is, those that always give us a feeling of discomfort such as guilt, resentment, shame or jealousy. In addition, it implies a frustrated desire for what the other has, a feeling of inferiority before the envied, sadness of one's own needs, anguish, resentment and guilt.

You can not avoid it?

It is always born of a social comparison, so it is common for envious people to constantly think about what the envied person possesses (whether material things or physical quality) and experience a feeling of inferiority with respect to the other.

The researcher Gisela Sierra Otero, from the Faculty of Psychology of the UNAM, He explained that if a person allows a negative emotion to last for a long time it can generate health problems, since it causes stress, greater adrenaline secretion, as well as changes in heart rate, pulse and gastric juices.

Generally people interpret envy as an injustice, which is based on a comparison and often have thoughts such as: "Why did you get promoted to him?", "Why do you have a better car than mine?", "Why is it prettier?" These expressions can demonstrate a feeling of inferiority and low self-esteem.

Sierra Otero said that justifying what the person considers an injustice, authorizes herself to attack; seeks to do harm or rejoices in some unfavorable situation experienced by the person envied, being both characteristics that distinguish envy.

He added that with envy we not only hurt ourselves, but also the envied person, because revenge is sought. In addition, this feeling implies shame, because at a social level it is frowned upon and people hide it, which makes it difficult to study.

The specialist explained that what is popularly known as "envy of the good", rather it would be admiration, in it does not reign neither courage nor hatred, but rather a feeling of overcoming, from what is believed envied.

Finally, the researcher pointed out that in order to manage envy, one should seek to regulate this emotion, if it is possible to talk about this feeling and "convince ourselves that some of us have to live and have some things; we must accept and know how to live with what we have and adapt to situations; to be happy like that, because envious people do not even enjoy their own life, do not think about the favorable aspects that we all have, "he concluded.