The Price of Envy: It Predicts Worse Mental Health, Not Success
Science confirms Bertrand Russell's warning: Institutions that stimulate envy, like social media, may be harming public psychological health.
What This Study Is About
A large-scale longitudinal study (18,000 adults, 2005–2013) investigating the long-term impact of envy on psychological health and well-being.
💡 Mindeln Tip
When you feel envious, practice gratitude instead. List three things you're thankful for - it rewires your brain away from comparison.
Key Insights
Envy is a Strong Predictor of Harm: Current envy levels are a powerful predictor of worse mental health in the future.
The Effect Size is Significant: A shift from low to high envy is associated with a noticeable decline in mental health (approx. half a standard deviation, considered a medium, palpable effect).
Not a Motivator: No evidence was found that envy acts as a useful motivator; greater envy predicts slower, not higher, growth in future well-being.
Age Sensitivity: Young people are especially susceptible to envy; envy levels naturally decline as individuals grow older.
The findings support the idea that society should be concerned about institutions that stimulate large-scale envy (like social media).
The Full Story
Envy is a slow poison to psychological well-being. This longitudinal research confirms that higher envy does not lead to economic success or personal improvement, but rather predicts a measurable and significant decline in future mental health.
Original Research Source
View the original research paper to dive deeper into the methodology, data, and findings.
View Original Paper