Jealousy: The Greatest Evil

I've said this before and I'll say it again: comparison is the greatest evil in society, the cause of countless problems we face in the modern world. But more dangerous than that is a much bigger threat known as jealousy which could be a subset of comparison. It might not be the only problem we have, but it's definitely among the worst.

I looked at famous historical events (as we all do). Civilizations like the Greeks and Romans documented about it in myths and literature like Shakespeare’s Othello, where the main character’s jealousy leads to betrayal and murder. Ancient societies like those in Mesopotamia even created laws to protect property rights and marital fidelity, which shows how common the fear of losing status, resources, or relationships was back then.

Jealousy hasn't just ruined personal relationships; it’s also shaped politics. Look at the court of King Henry VIII. Jealousy triggered power struggles and played a role in changing the religious structure of England, since Henry was driven to break from the Catholic Church in his pursuit of an heir.

This has been repeated in art and culture, popping up in countless stories and pieces of literature. It drove the plots of iconic plays like Romeo and Juliet and novels like Great Expectations, leaving a lasting impression on our collective imagination.

I've thought about this for a long time and still don’t have a solid solution (like always). Despite all the centuries it’s been around, we haven't found a definitive way to get rid of it (I mean we havent solved emotional intelligence so it makes sense). It keeps showing up in modern forms: social media envy, rivalries at work, even tensions within families or friend groups that you’d think were unbreakable (specially in a indian household).

I mentioned I still don’t have a solution—at least not a realistic one. Humanity, as a whole, isn’t great at solving big problems; if we were, maybe we’d have flying cars and easy space travel by now. But we do try. That persistence is why we’ve survived on this challenging planet for so many years. (btw elon might solve this)

^ adding this image to this blog, a year later.

It might sound silly, but I can’t help thinking about anime. A lot of major characters in popular anime don’t seem to show much jealousy. Rivalries exist, but they often push characters to improve rather than to be consumed by envy. Some of these situations are completely unrealistic, where one person has a hundred times more power or privilege, yet others still believe they can catch up. Maybe that’s how we should handle jealousy: by using unrealistic methods—by daring to try what seems impossible. (i can be very cheesy when i try lmao)

In the end, the solution I see is to focus on trying. Try to be better. Work on what you can improve. You might not have what someone else has, and it might feel like you’re the unluckiest person on the planet. But if you’re able to read this, you’re privileged enough to at least attempt to do more. The truth is, everyone’s missing something, and everyone’s got something. That’s just how it goes.

So my advice to myself down the line and to anyone reading this is simple: be unrealistic. It’s the only way to defeat the joy-killer, this most insidious evil in the human mind—jealousy.