To my shame, there’s been the odd occasion (or two) that I have experienced this type of jealousy when someone has done something I wished I’d done. The greeny came along and distracted me from actually *doing* it so I ended up in a procrastinating limbo.

However, there are also times when someone does something I wish I’d done and I *don’t* get jealous. So in true Sherlock Holmes style, my investigative instincts rise up and compare the two events to find out what the difference is.

With me, I found it’s to do with the perceived threat level of an attack on my “validity” at the time.

It helps to remember that humanity is built on building on the ideas of others and that there is no original idea – just original analysis/calculation/expression of the idea and this is totally within my scope of influence and hence I am validated again and the reason for the envy dissipates.
.-= Reeta Luthra | Stress and Health’s blog …Do These Green Eyed Monsters Lurk In Your Shadow? =-.

@Michele, I hope I get a dose of that someday and am completely cured. I can say that I am much better about it than when I was younger.

@Reeta, love your thoughts. It is a fascinating topic. And that’s another area where people get jealous… they see a colleague post an article on the same topic after they did. So not only do people get jealous of those getting there first, but the fact they did it after them. Make sense?

Jealousy is like snow in that there are so many different manifestations of it ranging from wet and slushy to the full-on, tumultuous avalanche.

It does intrigue me because it’s such a raw emotion. It kind of signifies our own values, insecurities, limitations and ambitions all rolled up in one writhing bundle.

Experience the emotion, vent and then find what you have to learn from the feeling/event so that you can let it go.
.-= Reeta Luthra | Stress and Health’s blog …Do These Green Eyed Monsters Lurk In Your Shadow? =-.

Won’t work that way when I’m envious of someone I don’t know, but heck, I can always blog about it.
.-= Anne Wayman – About Freelance Writing’s blog …Fair Use & Other Copyright Issues On The Web – Ask Anne The Pro Writer =-.

http://www.willwriteforchocolate.com/2010/03/17/michael-finds-a-niche/