Jealousy: the Fear of Comparison

There was discussion about jealousy on the blog site that I follow.The sin that all human-beings have a love-hate relationship with. Love in a way that it gives us some sick satisfaction to wallow in the unfairness of life, thinking how wrong it is that somebody has a straight nose when you don't, another one has more followers on Instagram than you do, or somebody else is climbing the corporate ladder faster than you are. On the other hand we hate being jealous because I don't think anyone actually enjoys that feeling.

The subject was interesting because Finnish jealousy has been scientifically proven to be different from jealousy anywhere else. In Finland we don't just feel jealous, but also hope for the worst for whoever we are jealous at: for example, my neighbour has a new, fancy car... I hope he crashes and injures himself! :D


As a teenager I had a lot to be jealous for: my best friend was an A-student, I was average. She was beautiful, I was ugly. She always got the things I wanted. How awful it was to almost hate someone who you love so much. Jealousy cost me sleepless nights and useless anger... until at some point I got sick of myself wallowing in such negativity. I still remember lying in bed thinking how she was perfect and I was nothing when I just had this light-bulb moment: mum had once again been right! The problem was my own attitude and all I had to do was just to get up and do. I decided then that this is enough. Enough time and energy spent on something I got no benefit out of whatsoever. I decided it was time for a change.

It takes willpower, a lot of it, but lucky me, it runs in the family. Of course sometimes the "green monster" attempts to raise its ugly head but then I just direct my thoughts to something else: songs by Spice Girls, sports and pizza have been deemed to work very well. Or friends!


This subject also got me thinking that I can't remember the last time I was jealous... probably when I still lived in Finland and had way too much time in my hands. But really I think that when you are happy with yourself and your life there's no space for jealousy.


OK, lets be honest: every time I have a boring weekend (because weekends are supposed to be action-filled!) I'm jealous at everyone who update their party pictures and levels of hangover into Facebook on Sundays! 

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