Jealousy

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Deeply ingrained in human nature, jealousy affects everyone, manifesting with varying intensity and significance. This complex emotion often leads to irrational and sometimes violent actions against oneself or others, captivating writers and audiences throughout history. A practicing marriage counselor, Hildegard Baumgart explores jealousy through a blend of public history, drawn from literary and cultural records, and private history, based on clinical cases and psychoanalytic practice. She seeks answers to two central questions: How can one understand jealousy, whether in oneself or others? Baumgart highlights the fear of comparison with rivals as a key motivator of jealousy, revealing its roots in mythology and theology. She combines clinical descriptions of love triangles, a historical overview of jealousy in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and insights from notable authors like Shakespeare and Tolstoy. Additionally, she discusses Freud's theories and contemporary psychoanalytic methods. With compassion, Baumgart shares her personal experiences and clinical anecdotes, illustrating the painful effects of jealousy from both the sufferer's and therapist's perspectives. She also offers thoughtful solutions to this pervasive issue. Her exploration invites analysts, counselors, sociologists, and those affected by jealousy to reflect on its cultural significance and personal implications.