3367

Our emotions are very fragile and bruise easily. When someone seems to be doing well in their life we immediately feel jealousy, envy, sometimes resentment, anger, and contempt, the deeper the perceived wounding. The fact someone close to you is moving on in ways that you would not expect makes you disapprove of them. Their perceived success is a one-down for you and you feel you're losing the game, so you immediately try harder to even the score. It's all the result of our mammalian nature and neurotransmitters. Simply knowing that doesn't tame the savage beasts within us.

Excerpt Library (Sociology I): "Discuss status games"