Othello stands out as one of my favourites when Iago says to Othello, "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!" What he's actually saying (in modern parlance) is "I hope you get jealous and kill your wife because that would fit in perfectly with my plans." Iago is nasty, malicious and evil just for the pure fun of it! Jealousy can turn people into monsters just like Iago. It can cause insane rage and play on one's selfishness and fears. This is not going to be a missive on how to overcome it. I thought I'd just share my thoughts on the emotion through a poem I wrote a few years ago when I was teaching my class about nouns that depicted emotions.
JEALOUSY
Jealousy is a green that’s hard to
define.
It looks like terribly tangled vines.
It sounds like wallowing and whimpering
whines.
It smells like a strange scent on his neckline.
It tastes like muddy paranoid pies.
It feels like razor blades when he tells
his lies.
Jealousy is sin in others’ eyes.
However, jealousy can also be a positive emotion. Really? How could that possibly be true? Well, it could be an indicator of where you want to be in your life. It could cause some curiosity about how someone else attained their goal, which could be a precipitator to reaching your own goal. Jealousy can also cause you to look inside yourself so you can see and become more grateful for what you have been able to do so far in your life. This is the best quote I've seen recently on the topic of jealousy:
With thanks to the jolly Mrs. Nesbitt, creator of ABC Wednesday, and to the jovial Roger, our administrator. Also, don't forget to throw out a big "Thanks" to the joyful team members who like to join in the fun by jumping over to many blogs to read your jottings or about your latest journey or your favourite jam or jelly recipe. See y'all next week for the letter K.
16 comments:
Always hated that jealousy is considered the GREEN-eyed monster!
ROG, ABCW
I had never thought about the positive aspects of Jealousy.
Thanks for giving me more to chew on.
I agree it can be a positive quality, The Bible even says that God is a Jealous God, he will not tolerate any other gods.
First of all .... i always admire people who are able to teach... i think its a very difficult job nowadays... children are for from easy to deal with.
I understand why you've chosen this word but i hate it when i am confronted with it... i can't deal with it too... i am rarely speechless but when people confront me with that .. i totaly shut down. Thankfully i'm not a person who has it in her!!
Have a nice anc-week/day
♫ Mel☺dy ♫ (abc-w-team)
Ha !The Roger Owen Green Eyed Monster...That's a good one !
Interesting and thought provoking writing Leslie.
I had a friend who had a very jealous nature,
She used to say such awful things about people,
Which I found most hurtful and embarrassing,
particularly when she made some derogatory remarks
about me that came back...
Yup ! you've guessed.... no longer a friend!
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
Great post! I love how you so sensitively bring both sides into focus.
Have a great week!
Jealousy can eat away at one's soul. Isn't it strange that we do have colors associated with emotions? I wonder how that got started.
Jealousy creeps up on anybody at any time.
My ABC WEDNESDAY
Jealousy has never been a thing I like to own but alas I have been that way at times. It is strange it is associated with green. I do really like your poem.
Ann
Jealousy is a negative feeling for me as it may have started on a competitive note but ends up sour most of the times!Thought provoking post!
Jealousy, to me is a very negative emotion and one to be avoided if at all possible. It is hard for me to see anything positive about it, - admiration for another, but not jealousy...
Thanks for explaining the Othello quote. I enjoyed reading your poem. Jealousy turned the teacher in the southeast part of our country to murder two people and kill himself this week. Yikes. Got to keep it under control and not lose yourself in your imagination for sure...
Have a great week!
I like how you explained that jealousy can be both positive and negative in different situations. Thanks for visiting my blog.
I pity the people who are jealous, it's a real disease !
Your post reminded me of the Billy Fury song Jealousy, haven't thought about that for years. (You can see his statue in Liverpool which is nearer to where my ABC post was this week than Manchester, don't want you to get lost:-)
That last quote is an interesting spin on jealousy. It fits Iago, too.
The View from the Top of the Ladder
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