Sunday, August 25, 2019

Pride And Jealousy

Pride and Jealousy (envy actually, not jealousy) are two interesting things we feel when someone has something very nice which we don't ourselves have. When that someone belongs to us, we feel pride. (Example: A mother feels pride about her son's accomplishment.)
When that someone does not belong to us we feel envy.

Ambani is extremely wealthy. He doesn't belong to me, I am envious of his money. His wife and Mom feel pride.

And I always thought pride was a positive trait and envy was negative. Seems like I was wrong.

The pride that we feel about what someone else possesses that we don't is not something I value. The moment that person doesn't belong to us the pride we have will change to envy. 

Can the pride that we feel, for what some other entity has, change because that entity is now estranged from us? 
I feel proud of my country, India. Would it change if I surrendered my citizenship and became a US citizen? If yes, what was my pride in India all about in the first place? That "pride" is a loyalty we have for something that is currently ours. Once the estrangement happens, that pride changes to envy or disgust.
Is this what pride is?

This also perhaps might explain why the things we we loved in someone initially are also the same things that we find disgusting later when we break up. 

The best pride is about the possession of what we ourselves have. Something that doesn't change because we moved to Boston.

What a revelation.

All this started because a friend said she is proud of me. And it didn't feel good to me. And I wondered why because it was said with goodwill. Then I worked out the pride and jealousy theme.

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