Jealousy facts for kids
Jealousy is a strong feeling that people often have. It's like feeling worried, scared, or even a bit angry when you think you might lose something important to you. This could be a friend, a toy, or even your place in a group. It's also sometimes mixed with envy, which is when you want something someone else has.
Jealousy can include many feelings, like anger, feeling unfair, not good enough, or even disgust. In the past, jealousy and envy meant different things. But today, in English, people often use them to mean similar things.
Jealousy is a common feeling in human relationships. Even babies as young as five months old have shown signs of it. Some people think jealousy is felt in every culture around the world. Others believe it depends on the culture you grow up in. Jealousy can be about being suspicious or a reaction to something that happened. It's often a mix of very strong emotions that most people experience.
Psychologists, who study how the mind works, have many ideas about why we feel jealousy. They look at what causes these feelings. Sociologists, who study how people live in groups, have shown that what a culture believes can affect what makes people jealous. Biologists, who study living things, have found things that might make us feel jealous without us even knowing it. Artists and writers have also explored jealousy in their works, like paintings, movies, songs, and books.
What is Jealousy?
When people feel jealous, they might experience several things:
- They might be scared of losing something important.
- They could feel suspicious or angry about someone they think has betrayed them.
- They might have low self-esteem and feel sad about a possible loss.
- They could feel uncertain or lonely.
- There might be a fear of losing a special person to someone else.
- They might feel a lack of trust.
Jealousy vs. Envy
It's easy to mix up jealousy and envy, but they are a bit different.
When someone feels envy, they usually:
- Feel like they are not as good as someone else.
- Wish they had something another person has.
- Feel upset about their own situation.
- Might feel a bit bad towards the person they envy, sometimes even feeling guilty about it.
- Can be motivated to improve themselves.
- Want to have the good qualities or things that another person has.
People can feel both envy and jealousy at the same time. For example, if you are jealous that your friend is spending more time with someone else, you might also envy the fun they are having together. Even though they can happen together, the different thoughts and feelings involved mean that jealousy and envy are studied separately in science and philosophy.
Images for kids
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Jealousy (1927), László Moholy-Nagy
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A painting by Miyagawa Isshō shows a young onnagata catching his older lover with a love letter from a rival, c. 1750.
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See also
In Spanish: Celos para niños
