Jealousy: Cool Words, Hot Topic

There's something about jealousy that brings out the street philosopher in everyone. After all, who hasn't had a brush with this potentially explosive emotion in some way?

Katherine Fichtel

I'm engaged to be married, which has forced a new outlook on my own issues of jealousy because I know that he loves me and that we're in it together for the long haul. I know we're going to have passing thoughts about other people. I wasn't always very jealous. In college I had a bad experience with a boyfriend who cheated on me.

Ian and Laura Lodin

Laura: I've always felt pretty secure about his happiness and committment. The only jealousy I've felt is with our son, who is two and a half. When he wants to be with him instead of me, it makes me jealous.
Ian: When he says "Daddy, hold my hand, " and Laura's around, I can see it in her face. That's the only jealousy we've ever experienced.

Erick Gerard

When a relationship gets to the point where both sides have an understanding of the meaning of their relationship, it minimizes jealousy. Jealousy is important because if you're not interested in somebody, you would never be jealous. A little bit of jealousy is good but too much of it is like a drug overdose. People kill out of jealousy.

Carol Grasso

I'm more jealous than I'd like to be. I'm adopted, and I think I have some insecurities. When I get very close to someone, those come out. It's a protective thing. I've never done anything I regret. There are times when jealousy raised a red flag, where the person's been looking elsewhere.

Christopher Sun

I'm not a jealous guy. My previous girlfriend used to get mad at me because I was not a jealous person. She thought that I didn't really care. The funny thing was as soon as we broke up, I started to get a little more jealous.

Courtney McCann

You can't help but feel a little envious when other people share the same high opinion about your significant other as you. It stings a little bit, especially if they give back the attention. It's also hard if you have qualities that people notice; your significant other can be jealous as well. It's never nice to feel jealous.

Esther Ashkenazi

My husband's very good-looking and when the girls get too flirtatious, when I feel that someone is threatening the relationship, I get an angry feeling that I know is jealousy. I let them know I'm watching, and my husband knows to back off or introduce his wife. Otherwise we'll have a fight and I'll blame him.

Autumn Stein

Jealousy pushes everyone away. It's the most raw emotion but also the most destructive. It's a problem starter. The minute you start getting that vibe off of someone, it's almost over. You feel like they don't trust you. I think it's the fault of people not having enough confidence with themselves.

Jennifer Thomas

My ex-boyfriend was very jealous. We'd be at parties and he'd threaten to beat people up over it. It was embarrassing. "Why don't you trust me enough to know that I want to be with you more than I want to be with anyone else?" Not trusting each other, that's when jealousy comes in. I don't want to be in a relationship where people think they own you.

Tralona Quiller and Joe Boisne

TQ: I get jealous; what's mine is mine, and I don't think that what's mine should go elsewhere.
JB: We try to talk about it, like what made you jealous? What can we do to make you not feel this way? There are times when it's going to come up and you don't do anything about it. The other person is just going to feel that way and you just have to accept it.

John F. Davies

When I was young, in the fabulous '60s, when everyone was promiscuous, I was jealous, but I'm not anymore. For the person who is the object of jealousy, it makes them aware that they have the power to hurt the other's feelings.

Katie Aintz

When my fiance is going out, I might feel a little jealous, but I'm pretty secure. If I wasn't so confident that we were right for each other, I would be more jealous. If I were to talk about a guy, though, he'd be very jealous. Guys are more jealous creatures even though girls get that rap.

David Schwartz

Jealousy is a lousy feeling. It's insecurity. When people look at your spouse and find her attractive, you should be flattered, not jealous. She's going to feel better about herself and is going to be a better partner and a better love-maker to you. You're the one going home with her.

William Connor

I'm not a jealous person but I've experienced jealousy. For someone like myself, who considers himself to be rational, it's not necessarily the best thing, because it throws your emotions for a loop, and you're not thinking clearly when you experience it. Certainly anger pops up, and that's something you've got to control; it's not good to be angry for your mental or your physical health.

Cathy Pullis

Jealousy doesn't feel good, it's not a good emotion, but I have it because I can't spend as much time with my boyfriend as I'd like, so I'm jealous of his time. I'm jealous of the other people he hangs out with. Acknowledging it is good, but you have to try to move past it.

Reva Revis

I've been on both sides of the jealousy equation. It takes so much energy that I don't participate in those situations anymore. I don't get jealous of other people, and if I feel like I'm being affected by other people's jealousy of me, I don't let it bother me. It takes way too much energy.

Ruben Gutierrez

I'm a very careful person, so I address jealousy. I carefully talk about the issues that are bothering me, and that helps. You start to build a comfort level. I don't act emotional or angry, but I feel it inside.