Jealousy

 I have often remarked that jealousy is one of our most vicious emotions, and creates endless trouble in the world. It seems to me to be a social emotion, where we compete with others, compare and contrast our status and performance against theirs. To some degree that is normal and healthy; we are social creatures, after all.

Where the transition to social pathology surfaces is when we are jealous of others' pretty wives, their material wealth, or their good looks or their high social standing.

To tie the negative emotion to the human state of liberty, let me digress for a moment. Mark Levin is my political mentor; this wise, secular, Jewish-American philosopher, this arrogant, angry, acerbic, wise, brilliant good man, should have 87 million followers, not 14 million radio listeners. I take my political reaction to events from him, and Americans should do likewise.

In his best book, Liberty and Tyranny, there is a presupposition that liberty is a most and the most precious natural right, and that we should fight to the death to preserve it, never giving it up out of fear, flattery, bribes, promises of being cared for by a central government, etc.

Now, let me return to the emotion of jealousy. Perhaps the most injurious form of jealousy is to envy other their independence, their liberty, their innate power, endowed upon them by God, to run their own lives. When people, alone or collectively, anarchistically, or in their institutional role, resent others' independence, and scheme to rob others of their power, their independence, their liberty, then evil grows in society as tyranny dominates interpersonal and  personal relationships, in the family, on the block, in our villages, townships and cities, in our county, state and federal structures.

God lays a duty upon each of us to take up our crosses, be responsible (yes, Jordan) and lead meaningful, mature lives, which I suggest is best fulfilled by leading a life of self-realization. Where we are ambitious to develop our talents and abilities to their maximum degree doable, we are then leading a life that is authentic, productive, loving, ethical, and is doing what is expected of us by God. In this mode of existing, we are liberated, and our liberty is maximized.

A liberated self-actualizer has no inclination to deprive others of their liberty and opportunities. He is not jealous of their independence. He is not sickened with malice and envy because they refuse to be deprived of their share of power, their liberty, their independence, their chance to really make something of theirselves and their short time on earth.

Living well as an individual and as a sober, contributing citizen is to be aware of the profound, intimate correspondence at work in society and political circles, that fragile but durable link among the psychological and social forces of owning, possessing and wielding legitimate personal power, enjoy full personal liberty while leading the life of an individuating supercitizen and lawful anarchist within a free market, constitutional republic.

Where each citizen enjoys the expression of her liberty, never playing the jealous tyrant, seeking to deprive others of the noble experience of expressing their liberty and expending their personal power, thereby enslaving slave and enslaver, expanding many kinds of sickness, as the totalitarian spread of the power of powerlessness as collectivized prisoners alive but in great pain, then jealousy disappears. Harmony, ordered liberty, peace, law and order and a rather efficient civil society and country well run are what are produced.

Take not liberty from others, nor ever allow another to steal from you of your liberty, and answer the divine call to amount to something artistic, original and impressive. Then jealousy, unhealthy groupism and tyranny will not taint the lives of the members of your community, or you yourself.