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Envy Driven Society

Aleksandar Dimishkovski - 11/26/2007

Doing more, doing better… This unwritten rule that is a pure representation of envy has been the reason behind many people's successes, many victories, great business achievements, advanced technology development etc. Being envious obviously motivates humans to render a better version of themselves, by constantly comparing themselves to others. To be better than the rest is also the most important rule in business in any sense, from innovative production to pure profit making – the more, the better.

Envy is present in all parts of social life, of the modern democratic way of living, and it is the sole driving factor that pushes society to the limits on which we stand at the moment.

It is present in sports: the whole purpose of sports is the contest between people as units or as a part of a team.

It is present in culture: no theater performance group or troupe of opera singers would exist had they known that they can't be recognized as the best in at least one respect, one area, or one country.

Envy is present everywhere: from peace to war, from love to hate.

Nevertheless, the confession that envy is what motivates us is sometimes evaded, or ignored. Thus, by this denial, envy unfortunately transforms to either psychotic or manic obsession, or to greed, which certainly cannot be connected with any kind of progress or development.

And while for the majority of countries and societies in the world, envy has been the sole reason for the country's progress in any sense, there is a large group of polities in which the neglected envy has been converted to greed – such is the case in the post transition countries. So many of them now are caught in networks of greedy strings that brake when society wants to move!

MANIC OBSESSION AND DEPRESSION

In these societies, manic obsession and depression are easily recognizable. They can be seen even on people's faces when walking on a street, drinking coffee or eating in a restaurant.

Having in mind that resources are scarce, the citizens of these countries aren't handling well their situation, or the constellation that they had inherited at the end of the process that was supposed to further develop their economy, education, and politics. They can't bear the fact that at least for time being they must strive ten times more than the citizens of the EU countries or the ones from the USA for example. Understandably, it's hard to compete with the ones that have a big advantage; it's hard to compete with yourself and it's impossible to compete where there simply isn't any competition. Unfortunately this has been the daily truth for a sizable number of post transition countries.

Because of that, greed has overtaken envy. To be better is not that important as to be richer, to know more is not a civil value: to be rich and powerful has become one. And "being" has completely lost its meaning compared to "having"!

The pure narcissistic and obese behavior of the "lucky ones", the people who were in power when the process of transition started or ended, the politicians, the managers of the former state owned companies who are still acting like the time when they enjoyed the benefits of complete monopoly… - they are now the representatives of greed! Not envy - but greed!

So it seems from a perspective in which being worth one billion euros is almost irrelevant when one third of the country's population is living beneath every internationally acknowledged standard of poverty – in Macedonia for an example.

It is not completely irrelevant, though, because the difference between envy and obsession is huge, as is the difference between envy and greed.

It is sad to see that the homeland of the one who "saw the world as an open field for cultural competition between nations" (Goce Delcev) is drowning in depression. Though, what is more frightening is the fact that people start to think as a mass, not as units, thus excluding every possible opportunity for an individual attempt at doing something that matters to the world and to humanity as a whole.

AN ISLAND IN AN OCEAN, OR AN OCEAN ON THE PLANET

Where to find themselves? Where is the place of a nation in which "crying" has become national sport, similar to the constant moaning during the inescapable imbibing of coffee?

How to understand the defeat when no one is willing to put some effort fighting?

How to explain to the isolated that even one new nail in the wall is worth something (for hanging a picture for an example)?

It seems that at least one of the possible answers to these questions is organizing a contest, starting a competition, an international one (known as globalization), isolated individuals included, competition with commonly accepted values, new values, added value.

The first prize in this contest will be a benign kind of envy that like a spark will appear from somewhere, thus illuminating the road to better future. The second prize will be the establishment of a new system of values, which finally will inherit the position of the one that died out a long time ago. The third prize will be the inertia which will take its course and lead the people and their country.

Only then, the sparkling envy will drive the society towards something better. The best will appear, and doing more will conquer. Companies will join the international competition called liberalized trade, students will fight for international scholarships, and politicians will draw some blood if needed to be left to do their job as long as possible, thus acting in the interest of the nation that they represent.

And envy will be triumphant!