When envy for colleagues becomes paralyzing

“It’s aggravating to experience envy. It’s even more irritating to realize it’s hampering your own work,” writes Theresa MacPhail for Chronicle Vitae. The author explores how the success of colleagues can stifle her attempts to work productively, and reflects on the surprise she experienced when she realized how rare it was for other academics to write openly about the subject. MacPhail suggests that envy can become a powerful motivational force if channeled properly, and writes that “in order to transform envy into productivity, you first need to tackle the underlying insecurity and self-doubt that come along with feeling envious.” MacPhail concludes that doing so requires hard work, self-reflection, and admitting to the envy that one feels toward one’s peers. Chronicle Vitae