Why do we feel jealous of others?
2024-11-20
Once upon a time, in a land filled with bouncy castles, sparkling rivers of lemonade, and trees that grew lollipop flowers, lived a little bunny. This bunny, let’s call him Pip, had a bright red wagon. It wasn’t just any wagon; it was a super-duper, extra-special wagon with shiny wheels and a little flag that flapped in the wind. Pip loved his wagon more than anything. He’d zoom around the lollipop tree grove, collecting juicy berries and pretending they were precious jewels for his wagon’s treasure chest.
One sunny afternoon, Pip was happily zooming along, his wagon laden with bright yellow berries, when he saw another little one. This little one had a brand-new, sparkly blue scooter! It whizzed and zoomed, making happy whirring noises, and went much faster than Pip’s wagon. The little one giggled as they effortlessly scooted past Pip, leaving a trail of sunshine dust in their wake.
Pip suddenly felt a strange feeling in his tummy. It wasn’t a hungry feeling, or a tummy ache. It was a tight, prickly feeling, like a tiny hedgehog was curled up inside. He watched the little one zoom away, and a little frown creased his furry face. He felt… unhappy. He looked down at his red wagon, and it didn’t seem quite as shiny and special anymore.
He slowed his wagon to a stop under a lollipop tree. He picked a lollipop flower, its sweet scent usually making him happy, but today, it didn't. He sat there, staring at the scooter disappearing in the distance. He wished he had a scooter too. He wished his wagon wasn't just a wagon, but also a speedy scooter!
Just then, a wise old turtle, with spectacles perched on her nose, slowly ambled over. She saw Pip's sad face and his drooping lollipop flower.
"Why the long face, little one?" she asked kindly.
Pip sniffled. "That little one has a much better scooter than my wagon," he mumbled, pointing towards the direction the scooter had gone. "It's faster and shinier. I wish I had one too!"
The wise turtle smiled gently. "Ah, I see," she said. "You’re feeling jealous."
Pip looked confused. "Jealous? What’s that?"
The wise turtle explained, "Jealousy is that prickly feeling in your tummy when you see someone else has something you want. It makes you feel unhappy because you wish you had it too. It's like wanting a piece of that delicious lollipop flower all for yourself, even though there are plenty to share."
Pip thought about this. He understood wanting a lollipop flower all to himself, but he also knew sharing was nice. He sometimes shared his berries with his friends!
The wise turtle continued, "It's okay to feel jealous sometimes. Everyone feels it. But it's important to remember that everyone has different things they enjoy. Your red wagon is wonderful! It’s strong, reliable, and perfect for carrying your treasures. The scooter is fast, but it can't carry as many berries as your wagon can."
She pointed to Pip's wagon. "Look at all those beautiful yellow berries! You’ve collected them all yourself. That's something special. You can't do that on a scooter, can you?"
Pip looked at his wagon again. He remembered all the fun he had zooming around, collecting berries, and pretending they were jewels. He realized his wagon was indeed special, in its own way. It was his wagon.
The wise turtle continued, "Jealousy can make us forget about all the wonderful things we already have. It's like wearing blinders—you only see what someone else has, and you forget about your own amazing things."
She then showed Pip a beautiful butterfly with wings the color of a rainbow. "Look at this beautiful butterfly. It can fly, but it can't carry berries. Each creature has its own special gifts."
Pip started to understand. He had a wonderful wagon, perfect for his own kind of fun. The other little one had a fast scooter, perfect for their kind of fun. Both were good, just different.
The wise turtle gave Pip a gentle nudge. "Now, let's go collect some more berries for your wagon’s treasure chest. And maybe we can share some with the little one on the scooter later. Sharing can make both of you feel much better, don't you think?"
Pip smiled, the prickly feeling in his tummy disappearing. He felt lighter and happier. He agreed to collect more berries and maybe share some with the little one on the scooter. He realized that having lots of berries and a great wagon to carry them was much better than just feeling bad because someone else had something different. He learned that day that being happy with what you have is much more important than wishing for what someone else has, and that sharing can often bring even more joy. He learned that jealousy is a feeling, but it doesn't have to control him. He could choose to feel happy and appreciate what he had. And that, Pip learned, was a very important lesson indeed.