Aristotle, who knew, helps explain this vile sin so common in our routine
HI!!! Every man for himself.
Who never envied whoever cast the first stone. Envy is a feeling that nobody likes to talk about. Clothed in admiration, she devours the soul, penetrates the bones, sharpens her tongue and spits endless insults at one or the other.
Ah, the neighbor’s weed…
Schadenfreude
In the classic definition, envy is “sadness for the good of another person”. The envious feels bad seeing that the other is well, he cannot be happy to see the success of others.
Its opposite is charity, detachment and even altruism.
The German language has a specific word for this: Schadenfreude. It is pleasure and satisfaction from the misfortune and defeat of others. The famous “well done”.
It’s as if someone’s victory meant a stab in the back or personal defeat for the envious. Thus, envy is the pain experienced by the good fortune or pleasure from the misfortune of others.
In the Bible we have the first murder reported: “Cain killed his own brother Abel because God was more pleased with his sacrifices.”
In Peter 2:1 there is a warning about envy: “Get rid of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy and every kind of slander.”
Another mention of envy is found in Galatians 5:26: “Let us not be conceited, provoking one another and envying one another.”
That colleague of yours, a complete pantol, gets promoted after six months in the company and you there, three years of hard work and nothing.
The bar is full. The guy up front grabs two glistening draft beers and walks past you with a Colgate grin, drooling with delight.
An impeccable Porsche 911 Targa rips through the city boulevard with a sensual roar that captures everyone’s attention. You almost get a stiff neck looking at it and wonder who that lucky guy is.
Just because the asshole in front of you walked up the stairs a little faster and managed to catch the subway doors closing in time to get on the car, did you stand there, standing on the platform, watching the train disappear into horizon and just imagining the smile and satisfaction of the element.
It’s the last coxinha on the tray and that stocky, stocky aunt, a bruzundunga, apparently slow, airy and detached, who with a ninjago movement slips her plump arm under the waiter’s armpit and snatches the last delicacy from him in front of you . Your will is to choke the poor girl, but looking to the side, you diplomatically try to concentrate on the solo of “Do you wanna dance”. Deep down, she desperately wants her aunt to trip over something that shatters on the dance floor. Preferably with the coxinha stuck in the forehead.
This feeling so powerful and present in our daily lives, whether you like it or not, is Envy!!!
Aristotle
In the article “What is envy?published by Brett & Kate McKay, we realized that although envy is a common feeling, nobody likes to talk about it.
Rarely does anyone admit, “I’m really frustrated and sad that that person has something that I don’t have.” He belittles us and makes us feel smaller than that person.
There are few books on the subject. Philosophers Nietzsche and Kierkegaard have written extensively about envy and its role in human life, as have Kant and Bacon. But it was Aristotle who devoted the most time and energy to envy in his book Rhetoric.
The classic definition of the noble sin given by the Greek philosopher is: “Envy is pain for the good fortune of others”.
Knowing who we envy is also important. According to the badass Greek scholar, we have this vile emotion towards our peers. We envy not Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, even if they are millions of times richer than us, but that coworker or neighbor from 602, that school nerd who is now the CEO of a cryptocurrency exchange. Our peers are the targets of heinous sin.
Even if the guy has a similar standard of living to yours but is pursuing another career, you don’t envy him. Let’s say you’re a writer looking for a first publication. An acquaintance owns a restaurant and it has just been awarded the best in town in his category. You are genuinely happy for him as he is not in competition with you.
However, if that former college buddy, mediocre journalist, rogue blogger gets a contract with a publisher to publish his first book, you’ll corrode with envy until there’s only dust left.
In closing, and again according to Aristotle, the reason why we feel envy only towards our fellow humans is that it makes us think: “It could be me!” You look at the guy who did well and you think, “I’m like that guy. If he was successful, popping the mouth of the balloon, so should I! But you don’t, and he hurts like hell!!!
So my dears, be very careful when you feel jealous of someone for any reason. Look in the mirror, appreciate the good life around you, be thankful for what you have, and try to get enough to live with dignity and comfort.
It’s a feeling that eats you up inside and gets you nowhere.
Jealousy sucks!!!
To read, see and hear
Book: Mal Secreto (1998) by Zuenir Ventura. “Envy is unmentionable, but no one can get rid of it, no matter how disguised it is. It is the oldest sin of humanity”.
This is how Master Zuenir defines the most common and well-known capital sin, taking us into the mysterious and impenetrable universe of Envy.
A mix of personal stories and fiction, according to the author due to the fact that no one really admits to being envious, the book roams the bookstores of Paris, reveals a series of interviews, goes to psychoanalysts, churches and various terreiros until it comes across Kátia, a splendid young woman from the Baixada Fluminense.
Movie: Amadeus (1984) by Milos Forman, the famous and now forgotten biopic of the brilliant Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Salieri, his conductor and mentor, soon realized the immense and precocious talent of the boy from Salzburg. The teacher saw that the boy was a prodigy when he analyzed his scores when he was still a teenager. Realizing that it would be impossible to compete with such a force of nature, Salieri gradually controlled, influenced and sabotaged the genius of classical music.
Unproven legend has it that Salieri poisoned and killed Wolfgang. The fact is that when he returned from Prague, the musician was very ill and stayed at his mentor’s house. This would take place in the care of the pupil. A whole facade to eliminate the source of so much envy.
Music: Bike, the psychedelic rock band from São José dos Campos conquer the world and the envy of their peers.
The recent fifth studio album “Arte Bruta” only confirms the talent of this band founded in 2015 and formed by Julito Cavalcante (vocals, guitar and acoustic guitars), Diego Xavier (vocals, guitar, bass and acoustic guitars), Daniel Fumega (drums) and João Gouvea (bass).
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
