The Venom of Jealousy

        Few emotions, few states of mind, and few concepts are more poisonous than jealousy. Jealousy has led to some of the most abominable and vicious actions taken by human beings. I've heard stories of people being shot in the street for having something that another didn't have, whether it be a skill or a possession. I've heard of friendships ruined and relationships destroyed because of petty jealousy. 

      Jealousy is one of the first steps to the victimization of the gifted and those who deviate from the social and cultural norm. Innocent people who were just too different for their own good, too smart for their own good, too skilled for their own good, and often too beautiful for their own good have had their lives destroyed and opportunities crippled because of the inability of those around them to master something as petty and foolish as jealousy. If you want to stake a root cause of bullying in children, jealousy is definitely one of them. 

       No one should ever be considered too gifted for their own good. That "for their own good" part shouldn't be included in the sentence. If your society punishes gifts and differentness, than your society is an oppressive cesspool of conformity and samemess whose foundations are pervaded by jealousy.

In extreme cases, jealousy has led to death or even mutilation and torture. You need not look any further than human history to see what has been done because of jealousy. In ancient Rome, if you attracted the envy of a powerful person, you could be tortured and mutilated and have unusual and unnatural things done to you and your family. Greek mythology shows that when the gods got jealous, they honestly did some ungodly things to the source of their jealousy. 

Jesus was killed partially out of the jealousy of the authorities of his time. What a tragedy, along with the thousands of other violations and egregious atrocities done because of jealousy.

Jealousy may often be quite petty, quite unsophisticated, but even in its pettiness, it is still very venomous. Jealousy is a poison to the person who is jealous. It preoccupies their thoughts, and makes someone lose sight of the skills and gifts they do have and their own significance in life and the valid ways they contribute to the world. It poisons your words and poisons your disposition towards the people in your life. It makes you come across as extremely insecure, and you often look petty and often look weak. 

     It is very much a weakness when you don't master petty jealousy, and it can destroy your relationships with loved ones and friends. In extreme circumstances, jealousy's venom can be lethal. It can lead to abominable, atrocious things.

     We should celebrate and rejoice in the gifted and blessed amongst us, and honor the differentness of these special souls. The enemy would love nothing more than to see us cut each other down and destroy each other over jealousy. But above all, there is no love in jealousy. Love cannot exist when you hate someone for having something you want or being gifted in a way you are not. 

Jealousy is infused with hatred. Since hate is such a massive component and result of jealousy, it leads to the persecution and violation of those you are jealous of if you don't contain it as a society and master it as an individual. Love and reverance should be the the highest aspirations of all humanity. We should always celebrate gifts and differences and never prey upon those who have them.