Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur

The Science of Envy
So this jealousy thing? It’s not all in your head. In fact, according to a
study published in the journal of Science, the feeling of jealousy actually

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activates a region of the brain involved in processing physical pain. It’s no
wonder we go into a tailspin the moment we start comparing ourselves to
other people. Jealousy hurts!
Feelings of envy and comparison are very common. Research has
shown that when you put a bunch of strangers in a room together, they
immediately begin to size each other up. “Whether you’re aware of it or
not, most people are automatically sizing up the crowd – who’s smarter,
who’s tougher, who’s more beautiful,” says Richard Smith, PhD. And I
know you’ve been there too – at least I know I have. It’s a natural, yet
terrible trait, and when I catch myself doing it I immediately flip the
channel in my brain and move onto a new thought.
But it’s not all bad news. Psychologists have identified two very
distinct kinds of envy: malicious and benign. Malicious envy is bitter,
resentful, and nasty, driven by a need to make things equal, even if that
means bringing another person down. On the other hand, benign envy has
an aspirational aspect – it often causes you to think to yourself, “If she can
do it, perhaps I can, too.” Though both feelings suck, the latter is more
about admiration than it is resentment. Proof that it’s scientifically possible
to make jealousy work for you.
Here’s some more interesting info to back this theory up. In a study
published last year, economists at the University of East Anglia found that
malicious envy stifled innovation among farmers in four villages in rural
Ethiopia. During their research, the farmers were often willing to sabotage
their peers, even at their own expense. As the sabotage became more
widespread within a community, farmers were less likely to adopt new
practices for fear that they would be targeted by their neighbors. Can you
imagine?
On the other hand, in a 2011 study done in the Netherlands, benign
envy was revealed to be a powerful motivational force. Researchers at
Tilburg University discovered that benign envy led students to dedicate
more time to their schoolwork, and perform better on a test that measures
intelligence and creativity – proof that they were able to turn their
admiration into inspiration.