Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,
but jealousy is even more dangerous.Proverbs 27:4 from New Living Translation
Other translations use the word envy as opposed to jealousy, either way there are two elements or places that the envy or jealousy could be:
– within you
– against you
In both places, or directions the feelings of inferiority, real or just perceived, can cause negative effects within an individual, group, or country.
I have been told of a research study where a group of people played a game where the goal was to amass as much money as each individual could. When the game was “over” some people had more money then others. The people with less money were given an option: You can give up some of your money to cause other people to give up more of their money. Many, if not all, did … this is a result of envy or jealousy.
They were willing to hurt themselves to hurt others, simply because the others had “more” … where they would have done better within the game if they had not.
Everyone was hurt.
There is a continuum that you will find yourself on when you notice a difference between you and someone else:
1. focus on bringing them more in line with where you are (smash, crush, destroy)
2. neutral – either ignore, dismiss, move on or praise, respect them for their accomplishment, either way, no real effect on yourself
3. focus on building, causing or getting yourself up
Odds are you will not always find yourself at one end, or the middle, nor am I saying you should. There are times that a person should be brought back to earth, yet it’s not directly based on what they created, accumulated, or own, but the methods that they did, or where they are going from now.
What if society was more focused on the neutral to motivation side, as opposed to envy?
Well, like with the research, in the end everyone would have more. What happens when a business has “extra” money? Either it goes to the owners, is used to develop new goods & services, or the employees are paid more; in each case the economy and opportunities are expanded. What if an individual has more money? Either they will spend, save, invest, or give it away. As long as the money is not sitting in a jar, or under a matters, it helps the economy.
What happens when there is no desire to improve ones own lot?
nothing … and that is not good. We don’t want everyone to do nothing, we want everyone to be the best they can be. We want everyone to produce as much as they can. We want everyone build as much wealth as they can. At least we should & I do … with one qualifier: it must be legal & morally good/right.
The primary way to build wealth is simple:
1. provide value – proof of that is you get money
2. spend less then you make
3. let others use your money to make more money – a cost of capital investing mindset (as opposed to the gambling mindset many attempt)
If our society focused on this, we would be able to make every other goal happen through our increased wealth, but giving, investing, funding, etc
Part of the Proverbs Challenge series.
