Envy. Envy is an emotion which occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it. Aristotle defined envy as pain at the sight of another's good fortune, stirred by those who have what we ought to have. Bertrand Russell said that envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness. Not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by his or her envy, Russell explained, but that person may also wish to inflict misfortune on others, in forms of emotional abuse and violent acts of criminality. Although envy is generally seen as something negative, Russell also believed that envy was a driving force behind the movement of economies and must be endured to achieve the keep up with the Joneses system. He believed this is what helps to maintain democracy, a system where no one can achieve more than anyone else. Psychologists have recently suggested that there are two types of envy: malicious envy and benign envy, malicious envy being proposed as a sick force that ruins a person and his/her mind and causes the envious person to blindly want the hero to suffer; on the other hand, benign envy being proposed as a type of positive motivational force that causes the person to aspire to be as good as the hero, but only if benign envy is used in a right way. However, Sherry Turkle considers that the advent of social media and selfie culture is creating an alienating sense of self-envy psyche in users, and posits this further affects problem areas attached to attachments. Envy and gloating have parallel structures as emotions. The only type of envy that can have positive effects also is benign envy. According to researchers, benign envy can provide emulation, improvement motivation, positive thoughts about the other person, and admiration. This type of envy, if dealt with correctly, can positively affect a person's future by motivating them to be a better person and to succeed. Our human instinct is to avoid negative aspects in life such as the negative emotion, envy. However, it is possible to turn this negative emotional state into a motivational tool that can help a person to become successful in the future. One theory that helps explain envy and its effects on human behavior is the socioevolutionary theory. Based upon Charles Darwin's 1859 theory of evolution by natural selection, socioevolutionary theory predicts that humans behave in ways that enhance individual survival and the reproduction of their genes. Thus, this theory provides a framework for understanding social behavior and experiences, such as the experience and expression of envy, as rooted in biological drives for survival and procreation. Recent studies have demonstrated that inciting envy actually changes cognitive function, boosting mental persistence and memory. Main article: Schadenfreude Schadenfreude means taking pleasure in the misfortune of others and can be understood as an outgrowth of envy in certain situations. Envy and schadenfreude are very similar and are linked emotional states. Both emotions are considered very complex and oftentimes looked down upon, which is understandable considering they are both antisocial behaviors. Given the detrimental states of these emotions, it is very important to understand their development in the early stages of childhood. The two social emotions, envy and schadenfreude, act together as sister emotions during the developmental stages in adolescents. Both emotions have a strong presence during these early stages in a child's life. In previous studies, it has been shown that envy becomes less prevalent as a child gets older. Researchers believe that this results from an increase in the regulation of envious type emotions as a person ages and gains more wisdom about life. Depending on age, the correlation of envy and schadenfreude increases. For example, a younger child is more likely to make spiteful decisions when they feel envious towards a person. Often, envy involves a motive to outdo or undo the rival's advantages. In part, this type of envy may be based on materialistic possessions rather than psychological states. Basically, people find themselves experiencing an overwhelming emotion due to someone else owning or possessing desirable items that they do not. For example, your next door neighbor just bought a brand new ocarina, a musical instrument you've been infatuated with for months now but can't afford. Feelings of envy in this situation would occur in the forms of emotional pain, a lack of self-worth, and a lowered self-esteem and well-being.