Dear Ben:

This is my understanding of jealousy of the kind you experience. I will tell a fictional story about the guy you are jealous of. Although the story is fictional, I believe the principle is true.

It looks to you, from where you are, that this guy is doing so well. From where he is, he is jealous of his older brother because his older brother is a medical doctor in the emergency room and their father values the latter’s profession very much. The father keeps expressing his appreciation to the older brother and keeps devaluing the younger bother’s occupation as “playing childish games” and “doing nothing that matters.” This distresses the younger brother who still looks up to his father for approval. He feels nothing when he sees his name in print because it means nothing to his father and his father’s opinion is really all that matters to him.

His older brother, the medical doctor in the emergency room is looking at your life, Ben, and is jealous of you! He is thinking: I wish I could have a 9-6 job. How I wish my job would end at 6 pm! I am so tired and stressed from these long shifts and I am getting in trouble with the X drug I am stealing from the workplace so to keep me awake for the job. How I wish I didn’t have a father I had to please. And don’t get me started about my younger brother- he is so lucky to be playing those games for a living. I have no idea why he looks pissed off much of the time!

anita