Anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness, disgust, disappointment, shame… Have you ever felt any one of those emotions running through you like a stream of hot lava? Think about it, if you had, then you have committed one of the seven deadly sins: Envy. Envy has been, is, and always shall be, the destruction of many. But will it be the destruction or the downfall of you? Will you be able to stop yourself from committing any more sins?
First we need to understand envy? Now I have to clearly state to you in case you think of the “jealousy.” "Envy" and "jealousy" are often used interchangeably in common usage, but strictly speaking, the words stand for two distinct emotions. Jealousy is the result or fear of losing someone or something that one is attached to or possesses to another person. For example in the last book of the Harry Potter series, Ron was jealous of Harry’s fame and powers because it might be the reason Hermione leaving him for his best friend Harry. Envy on the other hand is the resentment caused by another person having something that one does not have, but desires for oneself. For example, in Romeo's speech in Act II, Sc. 2 of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says, "See how she leans her cheek against her hand, o the I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek." Here, Romeo is envious of the glove that Juliet was wearing because that glove got to touch her cheeks while Romeo cannot.
It is agreed that envy involves an envier: the subject; and a party who is envied: the rival. Like an employer and an employee relationship. The rival may be a person, a group of people, some possession, capacity or trait that the subject supposes the rival to have: the good. The good might be something that only one party could possibly possess (the crown jewels, or being the world's best go player), or it might be something easily duplicated. It is sometimes held that the good may even be utility, happiness, or some psychological state that Subject, the envier, could attribute to Rival, the one who is being envied by, even if there were no material difference in their possessions or capacities. Most people in the world, including you, you and everyone else, have been in both of those two positions at least once in their life. I can sure tell you that I have been in both of these positions. But trust me; it isn’t fun at either ends of the stick.
So why isn’t it fun to envy others? If you are the envier, desiring to possess something another person, object, or animal have, you are being controlled by your own desires; and when you are being controlled by your desires for whatever you may want, you will be blinded from the reality, and the sense of moral and good. For when the envy is strong, you will want to fulfill it so you feel satisfaction for possessing something you wanted. Being envious indicates that the you are not satisfied with what life has given to you, and not satisfied that life gave you a chance to live. Focusing on provoking and envying others may only lose the valuable that you already have. Why? Because you fed the envious part of you so much that you couldn’t care for the precious things you already have.
You not be the person that I have just made an example of, but it is very easy to stray into becoming envious and ungrateful. Now you may want to know how to not be envious and live a happy and filling life. That is simple. Just be thankful. You may have heard Albus Dumbledore saying to the mirror of Erised, other known as the mirror of desires: “the happiest man alive would look in the mirror and see himself exactly as he is.” Remember that each and every one of us is very lucky, and each and every one of us has something special and unique that no one else. Look at those children in Africa. They do not have the luxury of clean water that we have easy access to. Look at the pollution in other countries; they do not have the luxury to breath in the fresh pinecone scented air that we bathe every single second. Look at those orphans in the systems; they do not have the luxury to cuddle with their parents as we can because they do not have the option while we do.
It can be said that not envy someone or something else is impossible for we are all humans. But you should know that it is because we are humans, we strive for perfection and better. So I ask you today, to find out what or who, and why you are feeling envious, after, remember to thank and be grateful. That is the solution of not committing one of the seven deadly sins: Envy.
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