“Desire beneath the Elms”: An Evolutionary and Developmental Model of Envy

Abstract

The author gives evidence that envy is universal and therefore points to envy having a strong evolutionary basis. She looks for this basis in the development of self-consciousness and awareness of others. Using contemporary ideas from evolutionary biologists and infant researchers, she proposes a model of both a healthy and destructive use of envy as development unfolds. Clinical examples show how a certain lack of mirroring and containment in infancy can derail desire and self-awareness, resulting in a pathological state of envious feelings that cannot be translated into a healthy use of the environment.