Tag Archives: emotions

Why so jealous?

Jealousy is a feeling we all wish we could avoid. At some point in our lives we have all experienced some form of jealousy. Whether it be at a young age or in our adolescent years it happens. It is just a natural reaction in our lives. Although most of us don’t purposely engage this feeling, we all go through it. But why?

Jealousy is a feeling of envy or resentment toward someone else. This can occur in a variety of different occasions. For example a little kid being jealous of another kids toys, someone being jealous of a co-worker receiving a promotion, or even a man/woman being jealous of their significant other talking to someone else. So why does this happen you ask? Jealousy is a psychological mechanism that causes humans to react in three distinct ways, projection, protection, and competition.

Projection is when people avidly express their negative feelings about someone they are jealous of. They take every chance they get to let people know how they feel about that other person. Often times they even try to convince people to share these feelings about the other person. The people making these negative remarks may not always truly mean the things they say but they say them as a way to get over their envy.

Protection is often put in play in relationships, for example when someone who is feeling jealous about someone else being around their spouse gets over protective. Sometimes people react this way out of instinct and just feel the need to protect their spouse from others. Most of us can relate to this whether you are the one being over protective in a relationship or whether your significant other is the one being over protective.

Finally competition occurs when you feel threatened by someone else. It is a natural instinct to attempt to defend yourself and compete with the threat that is present. It is almost like you need to prove to yourself and others around you that you are better than the other person. Some people do this verbally while others attempt to physically settle the issue by fighting.

Although jealousy is usually associated with negative connotation, that does not mean that it is always necessarily a bad thing. Feeling jealous is normal and there is nothing wrong with feeling that way. It is a natural reaction. Jealousy can be shown as a way to prove that you actually care about someone or something. Not everyone feels it as strong as others but it is most definitely a feeling that is hard to avoid.


Sources:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/resolution-not-conflict/201110/jealousy-the-3-main-causes-and-their-cures

https://positivejuice.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/the-real-reasons-why-people-get-jealous-and-why-jealousy-is-so-powerful/

The Art of Anger

Angry_face

Body language is like the unsung hero of communication. It is incredible. It gives a human the ability to talk to someone without even speaking. A simple gesture or sound can tell a thousand words. For example, when can you tell when some one is angry?

Anger can be detected based on a person’s facial expressions. For example, when an individual gets mad, they frown or maybe purse their lips (Sad 1). Their eyes may glare at a certain spot and they will not dare to look anywhere else. Also, they may squint their eyes so no one can see where they are looking (Sad 1). If the person’s face turns redder than an apple and they begin to clamp their fists, you should most likely run for the hills because that person is probably looking to drop the mitts and knock your lights out. These little hints could save you from getting absolutely tumbled by an angry or aggressive human being.

Angry-face

While looking at a persons facial expressions, the three main body parts that you should really focus on are the eyebrows, eye, and mouth (Body 1). The first thing to look at are the eyebrows. According to Scott Sylvan Bell, “When angry, the eyebrows will tilt in towards the center of the face or both will be flat and lower.” The second thing to look at are the eyes. Studies show that when a person is angry they tend to squint their eyes or make them flat/down with wide open eyes (Body 1). The final thing to look at is the mouth. When a person is mad, they will tend to narrow their lips so much to the point where it looks like they are biting them (Body 1). Almost like they are speechless or in awe. I would not mess with a person who shows any of those characteristics. A face can say a thousand words without even speaking.angry-face-baby

Besides facial expressions, you could also express anger through simple actions. For example, the usual favorite, throwing up the middle finger. The beauty of giving someone “the finger” is the perfect way to tell someone that you are not pleased with them and of course you get the joy of saying “S*rew You!” without actually saying it. It is simply incredible that a single finger can tell someone so many things.06-little_boy_angry_face

It is absolutely incredible how a person can say words without even speaking or making a simple noise. Reading body language is key and will help you out in life, especially to tell if a person is angry.

 

Works Cited

“Body Language of Anger.” Body Language Expert Reading Body Language Read Body Language of Men and Women. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.

“Sad Body Language Signs – GoBodyLanguage.” GoBodyLanguage Sad Body Language Signs Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2014.