How Envy Drives Society, History and the Left.
video description
Neid (Envy): Wanting what others have while you don't have it. This can also be without malice and inspire to put yourself to work and get it yourself instead of stealing it from the other.
Eifersucht (Jealousy): Comprised of the two words Eifer (Zeal) and Sucht (Addiction. As the word itself implies, it is blind, focused and obsessed. Eifersucht includes the possible destruction of the one having something that you want - whether you can have it yourself or not. It is also where someone (A) will destroy the friendship between two others (B & C) because he/she wishes full control over one of them, with the potential of even killing the other or at least driving the over to suicide. At the root of this is usually not love, but a narcissistic if not psychopathic obsession. It has elements of Greed and Gluttony in it, and takes Pride in the triumph of the gain (and destruction. It's only positive application would be in a healthy individual spotting how someone else makes advances to his/her relationship, and inquires about it or fends that off - that however depends on whether it was that and not a false positive, etc.
Date: 2022-07-15
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 9
Collaboris
28: 16 that also sounds like late west Roman society. I'm blessed with Intelligence despite being born too early for social instinct to be developed (yes I was born without instinct or common sense) coupled with autism that made everything worse
Top of that; my confidence in everything but history and barking (talking but not acting. My neuraltypical contemporaries are in more of a spot than I am to act for thier embetterment; Especially in social connections and over all the shortsightedness needed to succeed with confidence In the immediate future phase.
It's like knowing mechanics but never fixing anything to learn it. I worry practice may cauS unnecessary friction, ie going with a social example, contacting neighbors or at first former classmates to establish a consensus network among the neighborhood community (something notably absent from my observations. A big family clan moved in at least a third of my neighborhood branch and likely account for almost all social face to face conduct between neighbors)
It's tough to protect those you desire to fend for when there's such a pack of interaction.
reply
28: 16 that also sounds like late west Roman society. I'm blessed with Intelligence despite being born too early for social instinct to be developed (yes I was born without instinct or common sense) coupled with autism that made everything worse
Top of that; my confidence in everything but history and barking (talking but not acting. My neuraltypical contemporaries are in more of a spot than I am to act for thier embetterment; Especially in social connections and over all the shortsightedness needed to succeed with confidence In the immediate future phase.
It's like knowing mechanics but never fixing anything to learn it. I worry practice may cauS unnecessary friction, ie going with a social example, contacting neighbors or at first former classmates to establish a consensus network among the neighborhood community (something notably absent from my observations. A big family clan moved in at least a third of my neighborhood branch and likely account for almost all social face to face conduct between neighbors)
It's tough to protect those you desire to fend for when there's such a pack of interaction.
reply
DrewPicklesTheDark
So I must ask this, of course. Some of the groups leftoids are envious of, what if they _do_ begin to abuse the power and influence they have earned over time? I'm not a socialist, but I also can't pretend the merchant class (or whatever group in question) can do no wrong, and that they are innocent victims, and that those who criticize are just envious, whether it be using their power and influence to create laws to blocks others from achieving money/power, create systems or situation that allows for easy exploitation, etc. I don't think holding disdain for them is envious in cases like that. For example, if you think someone who gained wealthy off of slave labor is immoral, does that make you envious? Is it envy if you want to see them fall because they own lots of of slaves and are wealthy, and you are not? Is it envy if you view slavery as evil and wish to see them fall as some sort of sense of justice?
reply
So I must ask this, of course. Some of the groups leftoids are envious of, what if they _do_ begin to abuse the power and influence they have earned over time? I'm not a socialist, but I also can't pretend the merchant class (or whatever group in question) can do no wrong, and that they are innocent victims, and that those who criticize are just envious, whether it be using their power and influence to create laws to blocks others from achieving money/power, create systems or situation that allows for easy exploitation, etc. I don't think holding disdain for them is envious in cases like that. For example, if you think someone who gained wealthy off of slave labor is immoral, does that make you envious? Is it envy if you want to see them fall because they own lots of of slaves and are wealthy, and you are not? Is it envy if you view slavery as evil and wish to see them fall as some sort of sense of justice?
reply
Jamel
Ok so what you said about hunter-gatherer societies being dominated by a chieftain that normally had half the women is grossly incorrect. I've read numerous works on hunter-gatherer societies and what you described has never been observed to my knowledge. For starters, hunter-gatherer band societies do not have formal chieftains. They have informal leadership. That chart you showed referred to tribal societies that practice horticulture or pastoralism. The Hadza of Tanzania, the San of South Africa and the traditional Inuit are actual societies that subsist by hunting and foraging. Polygyny exists among them but it is nothing like a harem with a formal chief having half of the women. Serial monogamy is the most common mating pattern among them. A male with high status attained through prestige may have 2 or 3 wives but it almost never lasts a lifetime.
reply
Ok so what you said about hunter-gatherer societies being dominated by a chieftain that normally had half the women is grossly incorrect. I've read numerous works on hunter-gatherer societies and what you described has never been observed to my knowledge. For starters, hunter-gatherer band societies do not have formal chieftains. They have informal leadership. That chart you showed referred to tribal societies that practice horticulture or pastoralism. The Hadza of Tanzania, the San of South Africa and the traditional Inuit are actual societies that subsist by hunting and foraging. Polygyny exists among them but it is nothing like a harem with a formal chief having half of the women. Serial monogamy is the most common mating pattern among them. A male with high status attained through prestige may have 2 or 3 wives but it almost never lasts a lifetime.
reply
Nikki
Great video with some interesting perspectives, but I think that the monarchy point is a little misleading. Despite the tendency of societies to devolve into monarchies or similar structures, one must notice that the Roman Republic, Britain (I realize they have a monarchy which had far more power before too but there was a much greater distribution of power than other monarchies with lords and the likes constantly at the kings tail, and not to mention the UK provided official human rights quite early, as well as similar distribution of power in the Nordic countries like Denmark, whom many have hailed as the inventor of social democracy, have grown to outlast and often outperform the monarchies present at the time. I see what you mean by your point but there are definitely some problems in my opinion. Again, great video though, love your work!
reply
Great video with some interesting perspectives, but I think that the monarchy point is a little misleading. Despite the tendency of societies to devolve into monarchies or similar structures, one must notice that the Roman Republic, Britain (I realize they have a monarchy which had far more power before too but there was a much greater distribution of power than other monarchies with lords and the likes constantly at the kings tail, and not to mention the UK provided official human rights quite early, as well as similar distribution of power in the Nordic countries like Denmark, whom many have hailed as the inventor of social democracy, have grown to outlast and often outperform the monarchies present at the time. I see what you mean by your point but there are definitely some problems in my opinion. Again, great video though, love your work!
reply
Fulgrim88
A chief reason why certain expat communities became extraordinary wealthy is cohesion. Partly driven by strict religious codes (like in case of the jews or indians) or - ironically - by the discrimination they faced. Jews are the most common example but you usually also have very competent businessmen in many expat communities.
That is because there's an implicit sense of perfect trust, which is the basis of any business dealings. A random person you start a business with could screw you over. Your father or son? Much less likely. Especially if your community is tiny and tight knit and this betrayal would ostracise them. Nobody wants to risk beying outcast in their community when they are already outcasts in society at large.
Hence the good groundwork in those expat communities to build generational wealth
reply
A chief reason why certain expat communities became extraordinary wealthy is cohesion. Partly driven by strict religious codes (like in case of the jews or indians) or - ironically - by the discrimination they faced. Jews are the most common example but you usually also have very competent businessmen in many expat communities.
That is because there's an implicit sense of perfect trust, which is the basis of any business dealings. A random person you start a business with could screw you over. Your father or son? Much less likely. Especially if your community is tiny and tight knit and this betrayal would ostracise them. Nobody wants to risk beying outcast in their community when they are already outcasts in society at large.
Hence the good groundwork in those expat communities to build generational wealth
reply
Zuki
Lots to unpack in this thought provoking video. If i may comment on your reading of Youth Culture in Part 5. You know if you had said this 20 or even 30 years ago it probably would ring true to some maybe not all youth. The entirety of the C20th youth movements embody this contrarian /counter ideology where we have learnt to prioritize our individuality over the collective. Just for context i grew up with these exact same cultural references in the 70's and 80s. As a Gen X'er something that insulated us from Envy was the use, and abuse and later the over-use of Irony. A very powerful tool. Crazy to think that Gen xers are now the parents and teachers of the next wave. if this is the type of stuff they are thinking about then more power to you.
reply
Lots to unpack in this thought provoking video. If i may comment on your reading of Youth Culture in Part 5. You know if you had said this 20 or even 30 years ago it probably would ring true to some maybe not all youth. The entirety of the C20th youth movements embody this contrarian /counter ideology where we have learnt to prioritize our individuality over the collective. Just for context i grew up with these exact same cultural references in the 70's and 80s. As a Gen X'er something that insulated us from Envy was the use, and abuse and later the over-use of Irony. A very powerful tool. Crazy to think that Gen xers are now the parents and teachers of the next wave. if this is the type of stuff they are thinking about then more power to you.
reply
LDsupaHero
What if envy serves as an unseen social pressure release mechanism in society and cultures? But its the most primitive (base) of the mechanisms.
Was wondering if it was absolutely true that envy causes no net positives and I do agree for the most part. After listening to the video 4 times over, I think envy is a built in social equalizer that scales with productivity and abundance. Its more apparent when the abundance comparison can be seen at especially high contrast. Envy likely serves more functions than that but in the context of the video that's what i take from it. Envy on an individual basis can't assist as a coping tool for wealth contrasts out of your control such as genetics or intellegence ect.
reply
What if envy serves as an unseen social pressure release mechanism in society and cultures? But its the most primitive (base) of the mechanisms.
Was wondering if it was absolutely true that envy causes no net positives and I do agree for the most part. After listening to the video 4 times over, I think envy is a built in social equalizer that scales with productivity and abundance. Its more apparent when the abundance comparison can be seen at especially high contrast. Envy likely serves more functions than that but in the context of the video that's what i take from it. Envy on an individual basis can't assist as a coping tool for wealth contrasts out of your control such as genetics or intellegence ect.
reply
werwar666
I think you present Capitalism as more fair than it is. A large amount of successful people come from already priviliged positions where they can use their wealth and power to become even richer. Then there is the fact that for a poorer person to risk it all on a business, requires some amount of luck to grow truly successful.
Theres plenty of smaller businesses who are crushed by larger ones or simply got the timing now right and lost because of it, even though the people behind these businesses may have been more intelligent, hard working and skilled than those of successful businesses.
It has a lot of flaws as a system, its just that there is no real better alternative.
reply
I think you present Capitalism as more fair than it is. A large amount of successful people come from already priviliged positions where they can use their wealth and power to become even richer. Then there is the fact that for a poorer person to risk it all on a business, requires some amount of luck to grow truly successful.
Theres plenty of smaller businesses who are crushed by larger ones or simply got the timing now right and lost because of it, even though the people behind these businesses may have been more intelligent, hard working and skilled than those of successful businesses.
It has a lot of flaws as a system, its just that there is no real better alternative.
reply
Trevin
Your definition of envy differs from the one found in the dictionary. One can be envious of someones status and want it for themselves, rather than simply to deprive someone else from that which they envy.
Jealousy also gets misunderstood, Ive heard people say that jealously is specific to being protective of ones own possessions, but the dictionary doesnt make this stipulation. Being afraid of loosing your possessions is jealousy, but you can be jealous of something someone else has as well, just like envy. There are cases where envy and jealousy manifest as the same thing, and cases where jealousy is just jealousy and not envy
reply
Your definition of envy differs from the one found in the dictionary. One can be envious of someones status and want it for themselves, rather than simply to deprive someone else from that which they envy.
Jealousy also gets misunderstood, Ive heard people say that jealously is specific to being protective of ones own possessions, but the dictionary doesnt make this stipulation. Being afraid of loosing your possessions is jealousy, but you can be jealous of something someone else has as well, just like envy. There are cases where envy and jealousy manifest as the same thing, and cases where jealousy is just jealousy and not envy
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
