Envy and jealousy, according to psychologists, are complex emotions that have fascinated writers, poets, and thinkers for centuries. While they are often portrayed negatively, they also offer insights into human nature and relationships. Experts say envy arises when we desire something that someone else possesses. It is a feeling of discontent or resentment triggered by another person’s success, possessions, or advantages. Unlike jealousy, which involves a fear of losing what we already have, envy focuses on what we lack. Envy can be both motivating (spurring us to improve) and destructive (leading to bitterness and hostility). Jealousy on the other hand…

Sometime in 2022, we (some friends and I) were driving through a village in Kenya when I saw this giant billboard with the face of a presidential candidate named William Ruto. The tagline was, “Every hustle matters!” I thought it was a funny slogan for a presidential candidate, and a friend (who would vote Ruto) gave me a quick rundown of his candidacy. It boiled down to the usual platitude deployed to justify voting a candidate: he is on the side of the people, the masses, the common man (and whatever pejorative labels we assign). I recall thinking, I know…