For some reason, people feel threatened by your success. It’s not that they don’t want to see you succeed. Of course they want you to succeed. Just as long as your success doesn’t surpass theirs. This happens in all aspects in life. you can find it in the workplace, at home and even in your relationships.

Just like there are people rooting for you, there are others waiting for your downfall. That maybe very negative to say, but it’s true. Many people can’t stand the success of others. The would rather ignore accomplishments and highlight mistakes than celebrate what you’ve given. The question is why?

From the eyes of an American capitalist, I can see how history has taught us to be competitors of resources, wealth and power. We live in a society that encourages us to plunder an abundance of resources with disregard for anyone who lacks them. This type of ideology in culture, has seeped into every aspect of our life.

I believe that I worked hard. I have accomplished a few things here and there, and I don’t believe there’s much for me to prove in my profession. Still, I there are times where I accomplish things people thought I’d never do. There have been plenty of times where people told me that I couldn’t do something and openly predicted my failure. It’s not that they want me to fail, but fail enough that any accomplishment wouldn’t surpass their own.

It’s not to say that there are people out there who care about your success regardless of its height. There are plenty of altruistic people who would give the coat off their back if given the chance. They are willing to consistently help because they are only concerned about your growth. The problem is that there are so little people with this mindset. A majority of people tend to help others only because it strokes their own ego.

Constant Comparison

Do you know why so many people watch trashy reality TV. Because they can look at the screen say, “Well my life is messed up, but at least it’s not as bad as that person’s.” This works when someone is thinking in an empathetic way, but many people confuse empathy for judgement. It’s sad that people can’t uplift themselves without tearing down another person. This is probably the thought process around some racism and the idea that granting equality to one person would mean less equality for them. Long story short, people don’t want to see someone who is supposed to be inferior do better. This was the excuse for poor whites in the 17 and 1800s. (They might say it now.) I might be poor, but at least I’m not a n****r.

People need of realize that life isn’t a teeter totter. Yes you may go up and down, but you also go sideways, backwards, forwards. Life is some type of messed up roller coaster and each stage in life is never constant. One day you can easily be in front. The next day you could easily lose your place. If you think of life as a race, you’re already losing.

Jealous Ones Envy

People don’t want to see you succeed because it’s a cause for envy. Not all envy is bad. There is benign envy which pushes people to work harder based on seeing someone else’s success. Then there is malicious envy which is a angry, resentful form of envy that a majority of people practice. Why is this the case? It’s easier. It’s easier to put down someone rather than work on yourself.

You might feel this type of envy after any success; from friend or foe. People have a perception of who you are, and people will cut you down if you decide to exceed anyone’s expectation. The crazy thing about people’s perception is that they change. They can see you as below them one day. Once you accomplish the very thing they said you couldn’t, they’ll start to believe that you think you’re better than them. There’s no reason to pay attention to this type of person.

Not everyone is going to be happy about your success. Worse, people are going to tell you can’t do the things you want to do because they don’t want to see you accomplish something they can’t. This involves, family, friends, and the people you work with. The best you can do is be aware of others motives. Ask yourself if these people are acting in yourself interest. If not, make sure you don’t pay attention to the negative comments and do what you were called to do regardless of success or failure. There might be the chance that you won’t be able to remove these people from your life, but you can put a buffer around their thoughts and what you feel is your calling. Keep working hard, keep making mistakes, and keep being great.