With social media, constantly comparing yourself to others has become inevitable
Nobody likes to admit it, but everyone has felt at least a little envy towards someone. It may seem silly to study this feeling, but with more and more people glued to social media, constantly comparing ourselves to others has become inevitable. And how much this phenomenon affects people’s mental health is something researchers want to understand.
See below some recent findings about envy that can help you become more aware of this feeling and, therefore, try to avoid its possible negative consequences.
1. Envy is bad
A study published in the journal Science, a while back, reveals what many people have already experienced firsthand: feeling jealous is very uncomfortable. The sensation activates an area of the brain also involved in processing physical pain. The scientists reached the conclusion by stimulating the sensation and at the same time examining the participants’ brains with MRI.
2. The future bothers you more
What do you think makes others more envious? A colleague says they’re ready for a beach paradise? Or the travel diary upon returning from holidays? Did you bet on the first one? Well, you got it right. Research has found that people tend to feel more uncomfortable with the happiness of others when something good has yet to happen for them. Once he’s gone, they don’t care anymore.
The study, published in the journal Psychological science, was conducted by scientists at the University of Chicago. They already knew that emotions about the future tend to be more intense, since the topic had already been discussed, such as worry about an upcoming test or expectations for a big party. Remember the expression “the best part of the party is waiting”?
To confirm whether the same thing happens with envy, they conducted an experiment with 620 people, who were asked to imagine that a friend had gotten something they really wanted, such as a dream trip, a new car or a promotion on the Work. They reported how they felt some time before or after the event occurred. The reported feeling of envy was milder when the hypothetical scenario involved the past.
3. It has a positive side
The above result was confirmed in another, more real-world experiment conducted by the same team, which measured people’s feelings towards a friend before and after Valentine’s Day. The researchers found that envy over the gifts, flowers, and dinners the other person received was more intense the day before and the day itself, but didn’t bother as much the next day.
According to researchers, envy can be harmful, as it affects self-esteem, but it can also be positive, as it inspires people not to sit around waiting for something. This positive effect, according to the study, was not affected by the changing times. Therefore, putting things into perspective can be a formula for regulating negative emotions.
4. Satisfaction when someone misbehaves is dangerous
Another study, along the same lines, investigated how people react when someone does not behave well in a situation. Have you ever heard the expression “schadenfreude”? This term, which in German means “joy over evil”, is used to describe the satisfaction that some people feel when something bad happens to a colleague, acquaintance, friend or even a famous person. Again, this is a feeling full of envy and has been described as a common phenomenon in very competitive environments, such as corporate environments, where misfortune for some can be an opportunity for others.
Researchers from the universities of Zurich, Switzerland, Jiao Tong, China and Singapore decided to investigate the development and consequences of this less than noble feeling. And they discovered that “schadenfreude” is contagious. You are right. Even people considered empathetic, who care about the well-being of others, can end up taking pleasure in the adversity of others, if the environment is dominated by people like these and bonus policies are focused on individual performance.
The study distinguishes between “schadenfreude”, considered fair, when people think that the person deserved what he received, and ambivalent one, i.e. pleasure followed by a sense of guilt. It doesn’t matter, according to researchers they are both bad.
According to researchers, the particular problem with “schadenfreude” is that it can trigger cycles of abuse. Therefore, anyone who witnesses a scene of humiliation, for example, can start to treat the victim of the attack in an offensive way and satisfaction generates a vicious circle. And, even more dangerously, in some environments this aggressive behavior could end up becoming the norm, according to findings published in the journal Management audit academy.
The researchers’ advice to managers is to avoid this type of climate, favoring dialogue and incentives based on team work and not individual work. Not to mention, an inclusive environment can also help reduce feelings of envy and resentment. It’s always worth pointing out that workplace bullying poses a greater risk of depression, anxiety and physical and mental exhaustion. And, of course, all this negatively affects productivity.
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.
