Sara Protasi, a philosopher specializing in the intricacies of human emotions, dives into the tangled web of envy and jealousy. The discussion takes a fascinating turn as they explore how envy shapes relationships, particularly in social media contexts. Protasi contrasts harmful envy with the potential for self-improvement it can offer. Spoiler alert: Freud's infamous 'penis envy' gets a thorough critique, highlighting its cultural absurdities. Through literature and modern media, the conversation reveals envy’s dual nature and its impacts on personal growth.
The podcast explores how envy can be both a destructive emotion rooted in societal perceptions and a potential catalyst for personal growth and self-improvement.
It discusses the impact of social media on feelings of envy, highlighting how it amplifies comparisons while showcasing curated portrayals of others' achievements.
Deep dives
Creating Opportunities for Support
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Exploring Envy in Popular Culture
The conversation delves into the representation of envy through various characters in literature and media, notably focusing on Disney villains such as the Queen from Snow White. These characters are often motivated by a distorted perception of beauty, fueling their envy towards younger, more attractive figures. The hosts also touch on contemporary examples like the film Mean Girls, investigating how envy can lead to rivalry and destructive behavior. This exploration of envy reveals deep-seated themes in societal and psychological dynamics.
Philosophical Perspectives on Envy
The podcast further discusses the historical condemnation of envy in various philosophical and religious traditions, emphasizing its portrayal as a harmful emotion across cultures. Important texts, including biblical references and contemporary scholarship by Sarah Protazzi, clarify the negative implications of envy and highlight its prevalence as a response to perceived inferiority. There is an exploration of opposing views on envy, suggesting it serves as both a destructive impulse and a potential motivation for self-improvement. Through this lens, envy is framed as a complex emotion with both negative and possibly positive attributes.
The Complex Nature of Envy
The hosts dive into the distinctions between envy and related emotions like jealousy, highlighting how envy focuses on coveting what another possesses rather than on fear of losing something. They introduce Sarah Protazzi's notion of 'emulative envy,' suggesting that envy can lead to personal growth and the aspiration to emulate others positively. Nevertheless, the discussion acknowledges that social media intensifies feelings of both envy and dissatisfaction by showcasing curated lives. This nuanced debate underscores the dual nature of envy as both a harmful comparison and a potential catalyst for self-reflection and change.
Why are you so obsessed with me!? In episode 111 of Overthink, Ellie and David untangle envy, jealousy, and admiration, in everything from Sigmund Freud to Regina George. They think through the role of envy in social media and status regulation alongside Sara Protasi's The Philosophy of Envy, and investigate the philosophical lineage of this maligned emotion. Does the barrage of others’ achievements on social media lead to ill-will or competitive self-improvement? Why do we seek to deny our own envies? And how might Freud's questionable theory of 'penis envy' betray the politics of how we assign and deflect desire?
Works Discussed Aristotle, Rhetoric Basil of Caesarea, On Envy Christine de Pizan, City of Ladies Justin D'arms, Envy in the Philosophical Tradition Sigmund Freud, Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, “Analysis Terminable and Interminable” Luce Irigaray, This Sex Which is Not One Plato, Philebus Plutarch, Moralia, “Of Envy and Hatred” Sara Protasi, The Philosophy of Envy Max Scheler, Ressentiment Genesis 4, Exodus 20