Do you ever use the words “jealously” or “envy”? Do you use them in the exact same context? If your
answer is yes (which, let’s be honest, it is), then I’m here to inform you that
you’ve likely been using them incorrectly your entire life. Prepare to have
your mind blown.
Jealousy and envy are not synonyms. So saying that you feel jealousy towards someone does not necessarily mean you are envious of him or her. Colloquially, they have come to have the same meaning to people, which is why you're not likely to be corrected for using them interchangeably.
So what exactly do each of these words mean, and what is the distinction between the two?
Envy is the desire to have something that belongs to
someone else. Jealousy, on the other hand, is the feeling of distress that
someone or something you have will be taken away.
So you aren’t jealous of
someone’s clothing or college acceptance, but rather envious of them. You wish that you, too, had these things. However, if
you are concerned that someone else is encroaching on your boyfriend or
girlfriend and have a strong desire to hand them their… derrière, that is jealousy.
Incorrect: I was jealous when he was accepted into the program that I had been rejected from.
Correct:
1) I felt envious of Becky when she pulled up to school in that new sports car. I wish I had one of those.
2) Even though I know my boyfriend will always be faithful, I still have feelings of jealousy when I see girls flirting with him.
References and other links for more information:
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post. I'll reveal to you another word that you've likely been using incorrectly all your life.
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