I’m a minnow on Steemit, and trying to get into the trend of things. After reading these lucrative posts, I often wish I were able to do the same.
I spend hours thinking of how to express thought and my daughter helps me with this thing she calls “Formatting”, and spends a fair amount of time there.
Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy for all the people who are successful on Steemit, but I also always wish I was one of them. We often want what other people have! Silly humans.
It’s been on my mind and seeing others experience the same frustrations, I felt maybe a good idea to write.
It is the perception that others have something of value that you don’t have. In that outlook, envy provides us with information about where we stand in life, and how we may improve our circumstances.
It makes us brood over what we lack and resent those who have it.
Both experiences are painful, but benign envy produces a leveling up motivation; malicious envy produces a leveling down motivation.
Richard Smith
Benign Envy can be an example of my feelings; Follow all the rules about Steemit, do not think of the rewards but plod on - like, comment, resteem. Or launch into a mental tirade of “not fair”, “thousands for a short article”, “thousands for a photo”, etc. - The latter being Malicious Envy.
“Our envy of others devours us most of all”. Aleksanndr Solztenitsyn
“Envy expresses the vindictive and inwardly tormenting frame of mind, the displeasure with what one perceives the prosperity and advantages of others, begrudges them the things and in addition wishes one were able to destroy or to posses them oneself.” Grimm’s German Diet.
“Envy is rooted in the inevitable comparison between our own situation and that of others”. Schopenhauer
Comparison to others elicits awareness of our inferiorities be it in terms of wealth, possessions, mental or physical characteristics.
This can generate envy, if we believe that what we lack in comparison to another abounds to our relative unhappiness.
Instead of viewing our inadequacies, we can choose a more constructive reaction; emulation and improvement.
Emulation occurs when the recognition of one’s inferiority leads them to view the envied as examples to learn from.
The mass media relentlessly gives us a supply information - We are able to intimately view the lives of strangers. - People form opinions about people they’ve never met. Many begin to envy, maybe not the person, but lifestyle and earnings.
Emulation can be viewed as the positive reaction to what drives weaker individuals to Envy.
It’s better to react to your inferiority with the desire to improve which is not only good for the self but also society.
“ Envy is Concealed Admiration.” Kierkengaard
Essentially, 'Envy' could possibly serve as a evolutionary "motivator" of sorts if reacted to positively.
Let us celebrate each others successes, big and small!
Use envy to act well and do well, and not be smaller minded and meaner.
In the words of my daughter, @BelleKaur, “Don’t be Salty”.
We focus too much on our shortcomings and want to pluck the fruit off tree’s we did not plant and tend. So believe in your abilities and reap the fruits of your own success.
