The Era Of Jealousy

This might some day be called 'The Era of Jealousy'. Jealousy is the emotion of the day for many today who feel their lack of whatever they want is really the fault of those who have much less want and who make a good target for the have-nots. Perhaps we are so jealous today because the idea is reinforced so often. Our communication technology makes it so much easier to have a grievance today, given that there are always places one may log onto to commiserate about their jealousy.

One of the biggest jealousy expressions is the rants against "the rich". It's true that the gap between the richest and the poorest has gotten even wider this decade, but that's because it is far easier to become instantly wealthy today. Maybe those who complain about the wealthy having too much power and success should instead themselves attempt to become one of the rich they hate. But then, once they became rich they probably would not hate the rich anymore. Someone computed Bill Gates wealth and said that if he spent $1 million every day, it would take him 218 years to exhaust his funds. Good for him. He can't take his money with him when he dies so I hope he enjoys spending it or giving it away (as so many of those "evil rich" do). I think the jealous crowd more should concentrate more on making their own money, rather than attack those at the top who already do.

The strange thing about jealousy today is that it is far less personal jealousy, as in "I am jealous that Ann is so pretty", and more in a general class jealousy, as in "White people have everything laid before them while black people can't make it because whites won't let them". So the jealousy tends to be general and class oriented. It is also expressed abstractly rather than concretely. That's why politicians like President Obama shamelessly promote class jealousy with phony political campaigns centered around "The War on Women", "Income Inequality", "Equal Rights For Minorities" "Class Warfare" etc. Sadly, those kinds of sentiments do attract the jealous voters.

Are the jealous today motivated by envy of the haves, or do they just want what they see as their fair share ("If you got it, I want and deserve it it too")? Conversely, the ones they are jealous about want to keep what they have because they feel they have earned it. But human beings have different abilities, due both to birth and through hard work. They have widely varying degrees of intelligence and energy and are honest and hard-working to very different degrees.  They can be ambitious and daring or not, curious or lethargic. For these and many other reasons, their contributions to making the world a better place differs. And a s a result, their rewards do too. It's not nice to be jealous of that.