Jealous

Jealousy is a complex emotion that encompasses feelings ranging from fear of abandonment to rage and humiliation. It strikes people of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations, and is most typically aroused when a person perceives a threat to a valued relationship from a third party. The threat may be real or imagined. It is not uncommon for people to confuse jealousy with envy, but the two are distinct emotions.

Origins and Conceptual Definitions

The word jealousy originates from the French word jalousie, formed from jaloux (jealous), and further from Low Latin zelosus (full of zeal), in turn from the Greek word ζήλος (zēlos), sometimes "jealousy", but more often in a positive sense "emulation, ardour, zeal" with a root connoting "to boil, ferment"; or "yeast".

Jealousy is a typical experience in human relationships, and it has been observed in infants as young as five months. Some claim that jealousy is seen in every culture; however, others claim jealousy is a culture-specific phenomenon.

Jealousy in Relationships

Jealousy often consists of a combination of emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness and disgust. In romantic relationships, jealousy is often associated with insecurity and low self-esteem. It can be destructive and often damages the trust and respect between partners.

Psychological Aspects

From a psychological perspective, jealousy may be an internal alarm that signals the potential loss of a valued relationship to a rival. This can lead to a variety of psychological effects, both constructive and destructive, depending on the individual's personality and the context of the situation.

Jealousy vs Envy

While often used interchangeably, jealousy and envy represent two distinct emotional experiences. Jealousy involves a fear of losing something that one possesses to another person (a loved one, promotion, etc.), while envy involves coveting what someone else has.

See Also

• Envy
• Psychology
• Emotion
• Relationships