The Green Monster: Jealousy | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

The Green Monster: Jealousy

My thoughts on this intense emotion

376
The Green Monster: Jealousy

When people think of jealousy, they think that it's the emotion that destroys relationships; some people even call it a disease. Jealousy is an emotion, and the word typically refers to the thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, concern, and anxiety over an anticipated loss or status of something of great personal value, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness and disgust. This intense emotion is all over the place, is present in every relationship, and I don't understand why, why are we all so jealous? Now, I personally think that jealousy isn't all negative. I mean, don't get me wrong, jealousy could turn into something much more toxic, but a little jealousy doesn't hurt now and then.

Jealousy could make you learn something. The moment you start to feel jealous, it feels awful. Your hands get all sweaty and your heart burns up and you don't know if you are going to cry because you're so frustrated and upset. It's an awful feeling. But why do we let ourselves feel like this? Some say it's because they are insecure, others say people care too much. Could it be that this complicated emotion could cause damage to relationships because people are insecure or they care too much?

Jealousy is the building block of improvement. When people see others that are better than them, the little green monster takes over and makes that person want to improve. Does jealousy help us in a way? I think so. Society, now, is so competitive that we view each other as opponents, we try to be better than whoever we find a threat. This happens in relationships, not only in romantic ones but relationships between siblings, friends -- any relationship really.

Jealousy can be dangerous, though. At times, showing some jealousy is reassuring, but jealousy can also turn into obsession or even depression. In past relationships, I would get jealous and it would destroy me; it would cause me to overthink and obsess about the person I was jealous of. I would constantly think, Well, they are better than me so why should I even try? My jealousy made me unhappy with who I was, and I can't change that. I just was not as good at that specific thing. In the end I realized that I'm not going to be good at everything, I learned that people are going to be better than you at things. Does that mean there is a perk to it?

A little jealousy is healthy in a relationship since it's always good to know that someone is afraid of losing you. There are definitely pros and cons to feeling this emotion, and I would agree that there are more cons than pros, but either way you learn from it. Jealousy, in the long run, can help you realize something, or let you discover something about yourself.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter

It's not all morning coffees and singing along to the radio.

144
The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter
morethanwheels

I've been in college for four years now. I spent half my time as a commuter and half as a resident so I've experienced both sides of the housing spectrum. One thing I've learned comparing the two is that my struggles as a commuter far outweigh anything I went through while living on campus. Commuters have to deal with the problems school brings along with a slew of other issues; I've filled up my gas tank in the worst kind of weather conditions and napped in random places in public more times than I'm proud to say of. This is a list of some of the most challenging aspects of being a commuter.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

2919
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

17300
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments