Jealousy

Torakx

Hi all.
I just wanted to get some feedback on the origins of jealousy.
Im curious to know all about it basically.
From where it comes from in our brains and minds, to how it got there and so on.
I am presuming the ego is involved, but I may be wrong.

Il take theories or facts or peoples thoughts in general.
Just want a discussion on it, to try understand it and the dynamics at play.
Thanks.

Waking-Dreams

There’s jealousy and then there’s envy. Often the two are conflated but it is possible to distinguish one from the other. You might hear of one’s romantic partner being ‘jealous’, trying to protect what they see as theirs and what not, while people can be ‘envious’ of your personal achievements or successes, which has nothing to do with mating dynamics but is perhaps a reflection of their own desire for esteem and achievement.

Evolutionary Psychology is a great field of enquiry into the origins of jealousy. The Dangerous Passion by David Buss is a great read into this adaptive behaviour. Buss states that jealousy is as necessary as love and sex. After all, we’re a species that evolved in a much more primitive environment to the one we currently live in, and so jealously came about for very good reasons all to do with ensuring our genes made it to the next generation and reproduced. For a great reading on envy, I highly recommend Envy by Helmut Schoeck. He does talk about jealousy too.

Torakx

Thanks! That was a good response to start it off.
I should explain a bit more the angle im coming from.
I have met a few people with aspergers.
They are the best people I know ussually.Of course not everything thing is great about everyone, but one thing in common seems to be an ability to envy other peoples achievements and good things, that they see they do not have right then and it can effect them hard sometimes.
I was trying to figure out for my own curiosity where this mechanic originates from.
Were in the brain.What side, what "organs" if you will and the psychology of it etc etc.

I understand people very much and very fast.
But this situation I do not understand.
For me if anyone especially a friend gets a girlfriend for example or some new job.I am delighted for them even if its exactly what I want.
But this isnt the case with them when the role is reversed.
I have a need to justify peoples actions to see the good in them.
So here I am haha
Mostly its a curiosity.

Torakx

Heres another question im wondering.
Are there any theories out there regarding jealousy and ancient man?
Where, when , why it evolved if it did.I presume so, and with the birth of culture?