The Sentiment Of Jealousy

THE SENTIMENT OF JEALOUSY

By P. MANTEGAZZA, Italian Anthropologist

WHY, when love is offended, should we invent a new sentiment, jealousy? ALL SENTIMENTS, WHEN THEY ARE SATISFIED, BRING US CLOSER TO THE ONE WHO HAS GIVEN THEM SATISFACTION, lead us to lavish caresses on him, to do good to him. Every wounded sentiment, on the contrary, leads us to return the offense, to do ill to him who caused the offense.

If by jealousy we mean the pain suffered when we feel that we are  not loved, or have been deceived, EVERY HEART THAT LOVES OUGHT TO BE JEALOUS, just as whoever loves country and mother cannot see them offended without suffering pain. But if we take it to mean that tyrannical suspicion which leads us to torment the person who possesses us I would say, on the contrary, THAT WE NOT ONLY CAN LOVE, BUT CAN LOVE BETTER, WITHOUT BEING JEALOUS, and that we cannot love and experience jealousy.