>be human
>brain wired for status comparison since monke times
>see other person happy
>dopamine system screams **"that should be you"**
>no logical reason? doesn’t matter, lizard brain activates

>**envy triggers:**
>- neighbor buys new chariot (you didn’t even want one)
>- coworker gets slightly bigger cave painting (you were happy with yours)
>- random guy on /b/ has 10% more tendies (REEE)

>modern times:
>- "why enjoy my life when someone has +1 like/follower/status symbol?"
>- social media = **envy metaverse**
>- MFW your happiness is measured in relative deprivation

>deep down:
>envy isn’t about **what they have**
>it’s about **your own inadequacy**
>but admitting that hurts, so you seethe instead

>**cope mechanisms:**
>- "they don’t deserve it" (sour grapes)
>- "luck/privilege" (excuses to avoid self-improvement)
>- secretly hope they fail (schadenfreude overdose)

>biological truth:
>envy kept monkes competitive
>now it just makes you scroll LinkedIn at 3AM

Why Envy Makes Zero Sense But Won’t Die:

Evolutionary Ghost – Status = survival in tribe days. Now it’s fake, but instincts don’t care.

Zero-Sum Brain – If someone gains, you feel like you lose, even if reality disagrees.

Self-Hatred Proxy – Hating others is easier than fixing your own shit.

TL;DR: Envy is the mind’s autoimmune disease—attacking happiness because it might be a threat. /thread