Envy and the Regulation of Social Status

Envy and the Regulation of Social Status - Jens Lange (University of Hamburg)

People widely regard envy as a malevolent emotion that is rightly condemned as a deadly sin in biblical writings. However, recent research questions that envy is inherently evil. Evidence indicates that envy arises from a comparison with a person who has superior qualities, achievements, or possessions and triggers a goal to level the difference between the self and this upward standard. Based on this observation, we argue that envy contributes to the regulation of hierarchies that are based on social status—a social functional approach to envy. Three lines of research provide support for this assertion. First, envy is more intense following displays of social status (i.e., pride) by successful others. Second, envy is felt more intensely by people with pronounced status desires (i.e., people with higher grandiose narcissism). Third, envy is accurately recognized by high-status others and triggers emotions aimed at soothing the status threat. In all three lines of research, it is important to consider that envy entails feelings, thoughts, and motivations directed at improving the self—benign envy—or harming the envied person—malicious envy. That is, benign and malicious envy are triggered by different displays of other’s status, relate to different dimensions of narcissism, and trigger different emotions in envied persons. Collectively, the social-functional approach provides a more nuanced perspective on envy and implies that envy should not be prematurely condemned.