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Jul 2021

That's not entirely true. There are ways to manage envy, if the person wants to. On the creative side at least, it's converting that envy into motivation to do better. Friendly competition is kinda based around this same thing: two or more people repeatedly one-upping eachother in some field, indirectly motivating all parties to do better.

Real life stuff like friends getting married when you haven't is kinda tougher to point out. Personally, you either remain hopeful for your time to come or you wind up you let it go, and focus on other things. Nothing comes to us by demanding that we have it, and we kinda just need to be alright with that...

I'll be honest, this I actually get and have recently gone through on twitter. several posts in a single thread each time they got guest art, meanwhile 5 promised on my end and all five ghosted by the deadline. It was kinda demoralizing, but I never really unfollowed or muted them, just scrolled on and continued with the day. It was probably done to get more people on board with it anyway, can't really harsh on a strat if it's working for them :sweat_smile:

Motivation to do better is all well and good, but sometimes that 'better' is limited by a person's physical capabilities. They might not be able to produce work at a rate or quality that can rake in the subs.

So is it so bad for them to put blinders on to ignore all the great work they cannot achieve and just focus on themselves and what they can achieve with their limitations? :sweat_smile:

Dunno. I've been speaking in generals the entire time. Naturally, it gets harder to say when you have to account for every individual person's situation. You just don't know. My point in general is that there's healthier ways to handle feelings like that than muting or unfollowing friends. Any more specific, and we're just splitting hairs

I'm the opposite, I follow artists who are better than me and more successful than me cause I love their work...

but unfollow anyone who posts politics in my feeds even if their art is good lol if my feed is just art and cute animals, i'm happy.

I only follow whatever interests me, be it more or less successful than me....

There is always the chance of learning something from the more succesful ones......

But in general people already know that and do that. It's only really in case of specifics that people mute. I feel like specifics are the point. XD

It should've been in the original post then. Again, if we're all just making assumptions, my assumption isn't any less wrong than yours, lol

I agree. I'm really lucky because I stopped using social media at 12. As in... at all.

The trippiest part about not using it was that my music taste diverged, and I had no idea what shows and songs and etc. were popular. People would ask me "Hey, what's your insert-media-here?? and I'd always have to respond with an awkward "Oh, I don't have XYZ."

I ended up missing out on years and years of drama between other people because of it, and not gonna lie, I did sometimes feel weird because I...honestly couldn't relate to people who were stressed out by social media.

I made a Twitter account really recently for the sake of promotion and such, and PHEW have I been in a time capsule! I think I would've gone a little nuts being on something like that over the past decade!

No, go back! Save yourself! :joy:
If there was anything I could go back and redo, it probably would be to stay away from twitter until wayyy later. But I also wouldn't have met some of my art buddies if I did. Twitter is a little devil bird like that XD

Oh, I've heard from friends ALL about the cesspool it is!

As a new user, it feels like Infinity War, but instead of superheroes, it has a weird mix of Tumblr refugees, Facebook Moms, "typical Discord users," a sprinkle of 4chan, and an unexpected amount of underground adult content

I just post promotions and shower thoughts. I shan't fall into Tartarus!

I was just posting what I post not only to express my opinion but on the chance that someone reading shared similar feelings. I want to let them know that their feelings are valid and that I've experienced it. Been there, done that. And if muting/unfollowing helps them cope then go for it!

It may not be the best way to deal with feelings of jealousy/envy, but it's not self-destructive nor is it a method harmful to the other person especially when you have no personal tie to them anyway. Certainly, there are worse ways of handling it like being hostile toward the other person, disparaging them to others, or falling into a self-destructive spiral. So I think muting/unfollowing is fairly harmless.

walking away is definitively healthier than succumbing to envy......

and focussing of being the best version of me instead of being "the very best like no one ever was" :grin:

Hope this helps to whoever is reading

that's why comparing oneself to others is a waste of time and energy....not everyone is on the same scale for different reasons. The only person one needs to compare themselves to, is their past self.....that's the more practical and emotionally healthy for self improvement.

A simple comment: I left twitter and never came back. :relieved: I don't miss anything about it. I also block news about celebrities and influencer I strongly deslike. Life is certainly more peaceful when you mind your own business. I still have to follow the news but that's more about self preservation and not being ignorant about the world.

I'm on the fence about this, though if the success of other people really is sending someone into a toxic spiral of envy and bitterness, then stepping back from the source is probably a good short-term measure.

Long-term though, that tendency is an issue which needs addressing through therapy. Because it'll occur again and again throughout life, and not just on social media - if it's a close friend or family member evoking those bitter feelings, it could be enormously hurtful on all sides. Finding ways to soothe that without severing contact is important.

Myself, I do feel bitter occasionally, but it's usually only inspired by those who are successful but ungrateful, or successful because they've deliberately stepped on the face of others in order to get there. (Plus, those who hoard obscene wealth to the detriment of society at large, though that's a whole 'nother conversation.)