Jealousy and the Corporate State of Affairs

I don't know if you are familiar with J.D. Robb's series ***** In Death, but I am reading Calculated in Death. One of the many things in human behavior that has always puzzled me is jealousy and envy. The former has a tendency to destroy both parties. I simply do not understand those emotions. They are totally counter productive. Then I read this passage in the book and I am starting to wrap my head around them.

“A lust for what he does, a desire to get up in the morning and do it again. It's what builds success.?

“Well, that and a talent for doing what you do. You can want it, be driven to do it, but if you're not skilled, all the lust in the world won't bring you success.”

Now that explains jealousy: drive and lust for something but no talent for it.

““Anyway, if you're doing what you're doing for the result, for the benefits, with no real lust or skill or basic appreciation for what generates the benefits, you're going to look for ways to do less of what generates while pumping up the benefits.”

“Passing the work off to others, and/or cheating.”

“Others built something, figured it out, had to be good at it, and you're plopped into the big leather chair and expected to keep it all going, and add to it. Maybe that's privilege, sure, but that's also pressure.””

And that explains the corporate state of affairs......accumulate more and more trying to please dead parents by screwing more and more people because you have no real talent to build anything yourself and the people under you that have talent are a constant thorn in your side that you have to eliminate.