A strong emotion, properly harnessed it can motivate you, let loose it can destroy. How much of your life in Thailand is disrupted ( or has been ) by jealousy?

Have you found Thais to be guilty of it? Or is it worse among the farang community?

Health, Wealth and hippyness is the key.

Jealousy is probaly worse in the West(keeping up with the Jones).

Seen some pretty jealous comments on this forum also.

CCC

Have done my best throughout my life to remove any trace of this vile flaw from my character as soon as I become aware of its raising its ugly head.

Never acted on it that I can remember, speech more difficult, thoughts most of all.

Can't see anything ever positive about it - perhaps you're also including envy, as a motivation for chasing after material things? Maybe for positive accomplishments, but seems a stretch to twist it into a virtue, shades of Gordon Gekko.

Jealousy.......

Goddamit! Why didn't I think of starting this thread before?

Not sure, but I have found the biggest difference is that in the West people eventually get over it....the item or person they were jealous of/over. Here in Thailand it seems they hold on to it forever.

I am always more alert when I hear the words "it chaa" in Thai usually means very jealous or envious, both powerful and destructive emotions here (sometimes).

I have very rarely encountered these emotions with any of my few Farang friends....but hear plenty of stories from others (usually bar types) where it seems it is more prevalent.

Jealousy has gotten most people no where other that butt hurt. Not my thing and I don't think it works very good as a motivational tool either.

Fortunately, I've never been jealous, but I've certainly seen it ruin many people. I haven't been in Thailand long enough to know if it's any worse than Canada..

Farangs in Thailand seem to be disproportionately jealous (compared with farangs back home).

Health, Wealth and hippyness is the key.

Jealousy is probaly worse in the West(keeping up with the Jones).

Seen some pretty jealous comments on this forum also.

CCC

It would seem that people wouldn't be jealous if they didn't have anything to be jealous about. That's why I'd never boast about having money either here on TV or in real-life. Does more harm than good, in most instances. But some guys just can't help themselves. Either in real life (to impress the ladies) or on TV (to impress....who exactly, I'm not sure).

I have to say, of the many emotions that I feel when I come to Thailand ...

... jealousy is not one of them.

I suppose that, at heart, I'm fairly happy with my lot.

I see guys with girls prettier then mine ... but my gal's my best friend

and I wouldn't give that up for all the rice in the pledging scheme

and man ... that's a hell of a lot of rice ...

Guys are younger ... but I'm more hansum (so she tells me)

and I have experience on my side.

People have more money ... but lot's have lot's less.

Doesn't mean that I don't covert or desire for anything.

... but Jealousy ... Hell No !

.

Jealousy (envy) is one of the seven deadly sins.

So is Pride

pride (Latin, superbia), or hubris (Greek), is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and the source of the others. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self .

Wiki

I don't know any jealous farangs here but then I only have what I would call two genuine farang friends.

Wifey occassionally says she hears a remark about her only being rich because she married a farang, that irritates her but happens rarely and not heard from good friends.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Jealousy is alive well and rampant in Thailand as it is elsewhere..... I think Thais might be slightly more prone to it than farangs due to the crazy levels of showing off and pride in possessions and wealth, but that said there's plenty sulky, resentful bitching anywhere....

Edited June 24, 201313 yr by GooEng

I make sure to hide the fact that I'm a multi milionaire and act like a cheap charlie farang to keep the jealous Thais and Firangs at bay. Has been working well until now

Not jealous, more envy.

I mean there's that good looking guy who is just twenty two years old, drives Formula One cars for a living, has a smokin' hot model girlfriend, lives in Monaco and to top it off is English too. What more could you possibly want?

Nah...... he never wins anyway.

My Thai dog is more jealous of my affection to my Thai wife than my wife is jealous of the dog if that helps.

PS ..... you have making posts that will likely turn into arguments down to a Science

Edited June 24, 201313 yr by MrRealDeal

Back home they get a bit jealous of me when I say those words again "Im off to Thailand, seeya guys!"....

I see guys with girls prettier then mine ... but my gal's my best friend

and I wouldn't give that up for all the rice in the pledging scheme

and man ... that's a hell of a lot of rice ...

Guys are younger ... but I'm more hansum (so she tells me)

and I have experience on my side.

People have more money ... but lot's have lot's less.

Maybe -- just maybe -- you're doing yourself a disservice.

I watched those videos of your GF discussing her shrimp ponds. I thought it was interesting. She seemed very nice, too. Thank you for sharing.

I can't discuss my GF on this forum. I'm afraid to say that she has a rather ridiculous surname. It starts off with EL-HASAN. And the part that appears on the ID card is Japanese. Oh well!

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But I'm happy. And I have the impression that you're happy, too.

Perhaps one day you could ask your GF to share more videos.

From my perspective no-one is more jealous than the upper and middle classes of first world countries.

The poorer Thais at least try to be happy and make the most of their situation.

i would rather have a drink with the average Thai than with an average westerner.

Like all other deadly sins - it is the cause and locomotive force behind human advances and general progress in all fields.

Collectively we owe our sins and vices a great part of our 'success' as a specie.

Which cannot be said about our 'virtues'...

A very interesting thread... many hard headed people will fight over this one...

Edited June 24, 201313 yr by ABCer

Well it's on just about every news story involving anyone that's done alright for themselves whether they made the money themselves or not.

Any story all the jealous bitter people on here automatically hang the rich person ( or even the make believe rich people) high without knowing any of the facts and being stupid enough to believe the usual made up sensationalist rubbish written in the Thai media .

Well if rich versus poor sells, obviously it does as it's got a certain party into power and keeps them there so be it. Just I thought it was just poor educated Thais that believe it, but it seems many poorly educated farangs do too.

Funnily enough, I had this conversation with a friend of mine yesterday. There is lots of it around - and often from other foreigners who resent people who may be making a success of their lives. Choose your friends well when in Thailand, as there will be plenty around who will either want to scam you, or slag you off.

From my perspective no-one is more jealous than the upper and middle classes of first world countries.

The poorer Thais at least try to be happy and make the most of their situation.

i would rather have a drink with the average Thai than with an average westerner.

But would the thai rather drink with a farang ?

From my perspective no-one is more jealous than the upper and middle classes of first world countries.

The poorer Thais at least try to be happy and make the most of their situation.

i would rather have a drink with the average Thai than with an average westerner.

But would the thai rather drink with a farang ?

I cannot answer that question but we all have a laugh, with my G/F interpreting.

Like all other deadly sins - it is the cause and locomotive force behind human advances and general progress in all fields.

Collectively we owe our sins and vices a great part of our 'success' as a specie.

Which cannot be said about our 'virtues'...

A very interesting thread... many hard headed people will fight over this one...

Well out ABCer.......it certainly has been a motivational tool for the human race. Used correctly it drives innovation and improvement.

It can motivate people to try harder, put in more effort to there thought processes. It's too easy to dismiss it as entirely negative. It's not.

i think jealousy only happens with discontent.

Even if someone has more than you..or your partner is getting attention..if you feel content and happy (ie: you have enough, your partner makes you feel cherished), then jealousy is practically non-exisitant ..or at least fleeting.

Sometimes fleeting is enough eek. Many a person will have suffered at the explosion of jealous rage. I wonder how many members have been of the receiving end of jealousy by their partners?

One can desire money - ideally not directly but for the things it can buy.

One can even be "greedy" about that level of desire, what or who you're willing to sacrifice for that goal.

All without having any feelings of "jealousy" or "envy" behind your motivations.

Those negative emotions are indeed inherently harmful IMO.

When I learn that my friend or acquaintance has landed a great job I am genuinely happy for them. I may feel a twinge of "wouldn't that be nice" and yes that may inspire me to achieve the same goal, but I would only use these emotional terms for those who actually wish to deprive the other of their rewards or to to beat them in some kind of imaginary competition.

Sometimes fleeting is enough eek. Many a person will have suffered at the explosion of jealous rage. I wonder how many members have been of the receiving end of jealousy by their partners?

Exactly why we wouldn't want to put others through the same, and can see the harm it does to the person with those feelings too.

At their root is insecurity, the feeling that you're "not good enough", probably from poor parenting pattern in early life.

Edited June 24, 201313 yr by Weatherman

I don't believe jealousy is an innate trait of most Thais. Envy and greed, yes, but jealousy, no.

If you want to see jealousy in it's full-blown manifestation, start a relationship with a Filipina.

I don't believe jealousy is an innate trait of most Thais. Envy and greed, yes, but jealousy, no.

If you want to see jealousy in it's full-blown manifestation, start a relationship with a Filipina.

I've got scars that say otherwise. Not to the possibility that Filipina's aren't even worse mind you, wouldn't know and hope never to find out.