Duality of Jealousy

[vicariance]

Jealousy is always a function of insecurity, but it can manifest in two different ways: the fear of losing what you have to someone else, or as a fantasy: the imagining that you could have had something someone else now has, or that you might even now, if only they no longer did. The latter one is a strange one, and is the reason why the word has

Comments

Intellect sometimes has no power over emotion

[anonymous]

For what it's worth, I know you know I do cherish your friendship.

<3

Re: Intellect sometimes has no power over emotion

[vicariance]

I do know that you know that I know :P

And for what it's worth, intellect always has SOME power over emotion.

<3 <3 <3

Re: Intellect sometimes has no power over emotion

[anonymous]

yes indeed, as long as it isn't MY intellect. ha.

[emblemparade]

A lot to say about this, but consider the object of jealousy -- you went from a general definition of jealousy straight to the object being unrequited affection. That's a very narrow and specific object, and worth comparing to all kinds of other objects of jealousy, thus returning to your more general definition of jealousy, which I think holds.

I see a common thread in many forms of jealousy -- specifically the fear of losing control: over one's sense of self and esteem, over one's plans for the future (I'm not getting any younger and once again the object of my desire slips from my hand), over one's social standing (obviously irrelevant to you), over one's hope for humanity (for example, you seem disappointed in people who are unable to grasp your 'worth'). Through whatever miserable or unfortunate circumstances in life, we cannot control events such that they would give us what we want. And I think that's much of what jealousy is about.