Overcoming Jealousy, Beatrice Guernier & Agnes Rousseau, 2006

The psychological suffering that jealousy engender is like a burning sensation that slowly eats away at our hearts. That jealousy is a negative feeling is not a matter of dispute: jealousy makes us bitter about another person’s pleasure, causing us to secretly hope for his failure and rejoice in his misery…

At the heart of numerous conflicts and bitter divisions lie the roots of jealousy – an unrelenting, deceptive, and dark emotion which fuels a sense of bitter resentment that disrupts our lives and diminishes our peace of mind. Making us upset and belligerent to the point of seeking to harm others, jealousy exacerbates a feeling of unfairness within us and plunges us into a spiraling state of negativity and pessimism, against which we often feel overwhelmed and helpless. Considering the extent to which jealousy corrodes the quality of our daily lives, what can be done to free ourselves from the grips of this caustic and consuming emotion?

Drawing upon a variety of sources ranging from cognitive psychology to classical philosophy, Overcoming Jealousy presents an insightful and keen analysis of the origins, symptoms, and effects of this universal and insidious trait. Filled with compelling experiences and moving anecdotes, the authors systematically explain how to detect, diagnose, and treat this chronic source of pain and misery that dwells within each of us. Ultimately, the reality of jealousy is not a matter of blame or guilt, but rather of learning how to recognize and conquer an emotion that, if left unchecked, will increasingly ruin our sense of happiness and well-being.

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