I think that the tendency toward envy must be hardwired into some people but not others. I have never understood why I should get upset when someone seems to be doing better than I am, as long as I am doing things that I understand and doing the best I can to the extent of my capabilities.
Love the Charlie quotes and Charlie ideas. Sadly, there is one exception to Charlie's rule about envy being a sin without pleasure. That is Schadenfreude: joy at another's sorrow when what is envied has been lost. Hence all the snickering over fallen celebrities. Hemingway said that undefended wealth is the cause of all wars.
I tend to draw a distinction between envy and jealousy. It’s a fine one. Jealousy truly is a caustic useless emotion. Envy on the other hand is (as you say) hard wired in us and can be used to energize healthy competition and progress. Without it civilization would not exist. But it is dangerous and ugly when it descends into jealousy (coveting thy neighbour’s wife or ass :-)). This is what Charlie (and the 10 commandments) warn us about.
If you're not first, you're last in wealth. So, unless you are on track to be in the top 5. Envy, in terms of wealth, holds no weight, value, or significance. There are roughly 3,428 billionaires in the world, all of whom, except the top five, will be forgotten. Give it another 15 years, and the top 4 runner-ups will probably be lost to history as well. That is roughly 3,427 individuals who will be forgotten in history with no weight, value, or significance, all lost to history, and all hold as much value or weight as the next asswipe down the street who is worth nothing.
I think that the tendency toward envy must be hardwired into some people but not others. I have never understood why I should get upset when someone seems to be doing better than I am, as long as I am doing things that I understand and doing the best I can to the extent of my capabilities.
Love the Charlie quotes and Charlie ideas. Sadly, there is one exception to Charlie's rule about envy being a sin without pleasure. That is Schadenfreude: joy at another's sorrow when what is envied has been lost. Hence all the snickering over fallen celebrities. Hemingway said that undefended wealth is the cause of all wars.
I tend to draw a distinction between envy and jealousy. It’s a fine one. Jealousy truly is a caustic useless emotion. Envy on the other hand is (as you say) hard wired in us and can be used to energize healthy competition and progress. Without it civilization would not exist. But it is dangerous and ugly when it descends into jealousy (coveting thy neighbour’s wife or ass :-)). This is what Charlie (and the 10 commandments) warn us about.
Constructive envy can also be expressed as admiration
“We engineered our way out of scarcity and walked straight into a hall of mirrors.” Nice
People don’t suffer from having too little, but from others having more.
If you're not first, you're last in wealth. So, unless you are on track to be in the top 5. Envy, in terms of wealth, holds no weight, value, or significance. There are roughly 3,428 billionaires in the world, all of whom, except the top five, will be forgotten. Give it another 15 years, and the top 4 runner-ups will probably be lost to history as well. That is roughly 3,427 individuals who will be forgotten in history with no weight, value, or significance, all lost to history, and all hold as much value or weight as the next asswipe down the street who is worth nothing.
That may be true.