Whats the purpose of jealousy? Of all the emotions we experience this seems the

Question: Whats the purpose of jealousy!? Of all the emotions we experience this seems the most pointless!. Any views!?
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Lacan uses jealousy to help explain our being actually!. To sum up his work here you go:
Humans are built on lack!. We define ourselves by what we are not!.
We want what we cannot have (this creates jealousy)!.
We want to be what we are not!.
When we get something that we wanted, we no longer desire it and try to get rid of it!. (You want to be with someone, you can't have them and you start wanting them more, then you finally get them and you realize you dont like them as much as you did)
Humans desires can never be satiated (jealousy has the possibility to be limitless)!. Even basic needs like sleep and food are never fulfilled (you will always need to sleep and eat again)!.
Just an interesting tidbit!. Lacan is really interesting if you are interested in those sort of readings!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The emotion of jealousy is somewhat instinctual for humans!.
Take romantic jealousy!. We are mainly monogamous beings with very high sexual selection factors!.
We are also primates, and show the characteristic of dominance hierarchies!. Thus, when someone gets involved with someone that you were before, you feel jealous!.
That's one way to look at it!.

You can take a psychological approach to it as well!.
Look at childhood development and notice that children cry when you take something from them, or they only want a toy when someone else has it!. These are not learned emotions!.
Why do we get jealous!? That's really something thats beyond the scope of Yahoo AnswersWww@QuestionHome@Com

Lacan's views are interesting!. If I may add my own musings on the topic, I have to say that I find hard to sympathize with Othello!. Jealousy or envy look like neurotic afflictions to me and not a healthy emotion!. It often leads to violence and always to a twisted view of the other: if I love someone I want him or her to love me back freely, no string attached as the saying goes!. The other can never be MY possession, nor me HIS or HERS!. Sexual jealousy is useless!. I don't even find polyamorous relations upsetting: at least when acknowledged they make love even more possible!. And if everyone is really honest about it we all have polyamorous tendencies to start with!. LalitaWww@QuestionHome@Com

I never saw a point to being jealous!. It gets you nowhere and and certainly will not make anyone feel closer to you!.

I see in the NEWS all the time where some jealous ex-husband or boyfriend kills his and her new boyfriend, what a waste! When my ex left, I celebrated and was mostly relieved that she was finally gone!. We had been together for nearly 25 years and have three children together!.

My way has usually been to mistrust emotions and trust in my ability to think things through!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Emotions do not need to have any purpose to exist!. They are primal and stem from a time when humanity was feral!. Cruelty, rage, pettiness, and hatred seem to make more sense to you somehow!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Jealousy is not a bad thing!. Jealousy/envy is a good way if you interpret it in a good way!. By being jealous you tend to improve yourself!. Thats the reason for this kind of feeling!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ah! A question worthy! I've thought about this so much!.!.!.!. about how emotions seem pointless!. So I always try and take the "Spock" approach!.

It seems that we feel jealousy, to gain attention, to feel loved again!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think the only purpose jealosy serves is to make us more competitive, therefore we strive to do better!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It sucks!.
Would love to never feel jealous, but I often do!.Www@QuestionHome@Com