Envy

Personality Development

Envy is a negative emotion leading to waste of time and energy. We can see the effects of jealousy frequently in the work place. Some jealous employees will aim to bring others down, making the work environment unpleasant. Envy in the workplace can surface in numerous ways and reasons to feel jealousy in the workplace is endless. Personal jealousy is one thing but professional envy can be devastating. The office politics is an issue that far too many have to contend with. A vindictive leader who uses his or her position to undermine the efforts, work, or reputation of another is certainly behaving like a jealous leader.

To keep this type of jealousy from taking root is to put forth a shared vision and by exploiting the skills, talents, and resources of every team member. We should stop comparing with others. This is why most people never get ahead in their careers.  They waste valuable time trying to be what they are not, rather than valuing who they naturally are and building upon their own foundation of skills and knowledge for growth.

We might have seen too many people ruin their careers because they felt so much pressure to be like those in their organizations.  Envy doesn’t fuel people, it defines them. We now operate in a global market that encourages people to embrace differences and to be different themselves. 

Envy looms when people are not happy with themselves and their careers/lives. When a person is blinded by envy, he can't see his own opportunities right in front of him.  Envy destroys career advancement and if we are not careful, we can become a victim of this dangerous mind-game that we play with ourselves.

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar says

அழுக்காறு உடையார்க்கு அதுசாலும் ஒன்னார்
வழுக்காயும் கேடீன் பது. (165)

शत्रु न भी हो ईर्ष्यु का, करने को कुछ हानि ।
जलन मात्र पर्याप्त है, करने को अति हानि ॥ (१६५)

Explanation by Scholars

To those who cherish envy that is enough. Though free from enemies that (envy) will bring destruction.

பொறாமைக் குணம் கொண்டவர்களுக்கு அவர்களை வீழ்த்த வேறு பகையே வேண்டா. அந்தக் குணமே அவர்களை வீழ்த்தி விடும்.