Jealousy, Envy... Oblivion

People are just people. We are ruled by very animalistic instincts. Even though we try to control them, they are stronger than us.  The recently deceased Philip Zimbardo conducted the famous prison experiment. A film was made about it, and the experiment became the basis for many stories and anecdotes. Under certain conditions, people behave brutally, aggressively, and, worst of all, they derive pleasure from the suffering of others. 

Widespread, cheap communication, social networks, and the democratization of content creation and sharing make this aspect of human nature more visible than ever before. The sense of anonymity leads to the expression of negative opinions that we usually hide under the mask of being a mature member of society. We control ourselves.  When a neighbor buys a new car, a sense of jealousy arises among the others. If jealousy serves as a motivating factor and pushes other members of the community to put in the effort to keep up with the rising standard, everything seems fine. If the neighbors don't believe they can reach the new level set by the leader, envy comes into play. Unfortunately, in most cases, envy is negative or extremely negative.  Somehow, part of the community prioritizes explaining the success of others by attributing it to negative or illegal actions. In their system of values and assessment of possibilities, there is no room for success. If the most I can earn is the national average, then someone earning ten times more must either be using magic or stealing. Since magic doesn't exist, they must be stealing. 

A wide range of connections, cognitive abilities, creativity, or hard work is, for most people, a spark that transforms jealousy into envy. Interestingly, envy is a destructive trait. People who find confirmation from others that "something's off" get drawn deeper into this state. Like sinking in a mental swamp, they start finding more and more objects to envy. At some point, this "bitterness" becomes the driving force behind their actions.  However, when successful business leaders, artists, or athletes manage to escape the grip of "hate," society forgets about them. Some leave, others disappear from the media, and still others deliberately generate public news of failure. Nothing pleases the envious crowd more than confirmation of their suspicions. Then the crowd lets go. Envy fades and moves on to its next target.  You can't fight it. The only solution is to manipulate the crowd. The only cure is to show weakness or create the myth of a tyrant. Either show that you're not as perfect as the public sees you, or build a fortress of fear and inaccessibility. It’s a sad truth but one that's been around for thousands of years.  The photo was taken in Bogotá, Colombia. A street vendor selling rat, bat, and dead cat toys sells his creations and finds buyers.  I dedicate this to the leaders going through the stages of jealousy, envy, and oblivion. I wish you to enjoy jealousy as long as possible, pass through envy as quickly as you can, and savor oblivion for as long as you can.