From 2018: People who are inclined to experience malicious envy make less positive impressions on others, undermine superior’s successes with aggressive strategies, and, ultimately, reach worse wellbeing

Dispositional envy: A conceptual review. Jens Lange, Lisa Blatz, Jan Crusius. January 2018. DOI: 10.4135/9781526451248.n18. In SAGE Handbook of personality and individual differences.Publisher: Sage. Eds: Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Todd Shackelford.

Abstract: We review research on the determinants of dispositional envy and its consequences on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and societal level. We propose to extend earlier conceptualizations of envy by distinguishing two forms that constitute emotional pathways in responding to status threats. According to this perspective, benign envy is a reaction to a loss of prestige leading to behaviors directed at re-gaining status. Therefore, people who are inclined to experience benign envy make more positive impressions on others, improve their performance, and, ultimately, reach better well-being. Thus, we argue that dispositional benign envy may contribute to societal flourishing. In contrast, malicious envy is a reaction to dominant others leading to behaviors directing at harming their status. Therefore, people who are inclined to experience malicious envy make less positive impressions on others, undermine superior’s successes with aggressive strategies, and, ultimately, reach worse wellbeing. Thus, we argue that dispositional malicious envy may contribute to societal conflict. In sum, dispositional envy appears to be an important personality variable contributing to the regulation of status hierarchies.