5 Deadly Sins Down, 2 to Go

You'd think I'd be used to this, exposing my shame to the world.  But this is a big one.  Envy.  Or, if you will, in its more virulent, Satanic form, jealousy.  The gnawing fear you experience when you hear about another's success.  The malicious but oh-so-compelling voice that whispers to you, "You're nothing, you've never been anything but nothing, you will never amount to anything," whenever someone praises someone else in your presence.  The raging green monster that wants to break, destroy, kill, pound into the ground that puny god who dares challenge your status by declaring himself (or herself) better than you.

Yes, I've been there.  Many, many times.  With my siblings.  With my colleagues.  With my fellow fencers.  According to Bob Sorge and R.T. Kendall, most everyone has--not, of course, that anyone is usually willing to admit it, oh, no.  Because that would be to admit that we have something to feel jealous or envious about.  And that, of course, would raise the suspicion that maybe, in fact, we do.  And you all know where that leads.

I dare you.  Insist that you've never been envious of me.

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