Thoughts on Bertrand Russell (For Exam 2)

In our readings of Bertrand Russell, I found his discussions on envy very enlightening. Russell explains envy as "rendering a man unhappy." This is beyond true in any case, and has been felt by nearly every person, at some point in his or her lives. Instead of delighting in the things I had, I was blinded by the things that were in another person's possession. Envy can cause a person to wish misfortune on another and envy brings out a certain type of unhappiness that seems contagious. He goes on to explain that even taking something from someone when you are envious can lead you to a darker happiness, just by making the other person unhappy. Envy seems to be a silently venomous emotion or feeling that can disallow true happiness within oneself. Daily thoughts can lead one to act envious, for example, just contemplating, as Russell says, why one person leads a life of pleasure while another has to live a life of hard work and turmoil can lend to this negative emotion. My favorite quotation of his on this subject in his writing, The Conquest of Happiness, is as follows, "But leaving saints out of account, the only cure for envy in the case of ordinary men and women is happiness, and the difficulty is that envy is itself a terrible obstacle to happiness,” (pg. 82). Human existence is such a peculiar thing, especially when you really think and analyze this quotation, but at the same time, it makes complete and clear sense. Happiness can be had without the presence of envy, but envy can rear it's ugly head at any minute or hour of the day, even if so slightly. Luckily, Russell explains that even though envy aids to unhappiness and happiness cannot be had without the absence of envy, the knowledge of one’s own envy is a large step in relieving envious tendencies altogether. Some believe envy can be alleviated by acquiring that which you didn’t have, but still someone will always have more for you to be envious of, as Russell explains through the example of Napoleon’s jealousy of Julius Caesar, who was most likely envious of Alexander the Great and so on, (pg. 84). The semi-full proof method for attempting to subdue the snake that is envy is through self-realization and mental training. Learning to truly appreciate your possessions and your relationships eliminates this unhappy emotion. It’s, again, this notion of self-realization of personal worth and understanding of fortune. As with most all philosophy, it begins with and understanding in your mind and logic.