Why does misery love company?

Question

Why is it that when you are more successful than someone, they want to drag you down or get jealous or resentful?

Why does misery love company?

Answer 1

I think that in that case, your success serves only as a reminder to them of their lack of success.

People tear others down because of their inability to bring themselves up.

Answer 2

Usually the folks who are jealous are also seeking attention and wanting to make you less happy. They can be toxic. If someone can't stop being negative, you will need to find some more positive people to hang out with. Some people actually enjoy "beiung miserable" and you will be exhausted from listening to them list their sufferings - misery loves company, but successful does not need to join them. I have also been told by miserable people that they can feel "oppressed" by hearing the good fortune of others. So it can be upsetting to both sides. Do what you can for others, but move on when you need to.

Answer 3

well, it's always going to be a downer to people with a heap of troubles to be around people that are happy with their world and the big world as it is. Can't help but remind a person that's miserable that somewhere, somehow, they either blew it or had it taken from them by circumstance.

After my divorce, I can't say that it was very pleasant to be around happily married people and their kids. They didn't make me mad, or even envious, really. They just constantly made me painfully aware of what I once had and did not anymore, so I instinctively gravitated towards the company of people who were similarly battered by their own decisions and/or bad luck, and shared my sense of loss and square-peg-in-a-round-hole confusion about, and yeah, at the time, even bitterness toward life.

Maybe I hoped to learn from them. Maybe I was just glad to have the reassurances of people that KNOW what it's like to screw things up and/or get screwed over (it beat hearing the useless platitudes tossed off by those that either don't or have convinced themselves they never have, or will have to), who know what it's like to feel one was born in the wrong century - maybe even on the wrong planet, be isolated and confused, and, at least for the moment, and yeah, aren't even above wallowing in a bit of Weltshmerz when the mood strikes them. In any case, it does seem to be easier and more helpful than being around people that won't or can't understand where you are because they've not yet been there.

And it's almost a necessity to start considering people like that as blithering idiots, grinning like retards in a rainstorm, that are only happy because they don't have the grey matter to percieve what a truly rotten, depressing, shallow misguided mess the world really is. Not saying that's right, but it's another survival mechanism, and most depressed people avail themselves of it to some degree, and prefer to be around people of like mind.

As I said, I can't say any of this is a good behavior to indulge in, or an aid to any sort of recovery that may or may not be forthcoming, but it is human nature, I guess. And I doubt any of us will live to see it change.

"the optimist feels he lives in the best of all possible worlds - the pessimist fears he is right."

---I forgot the name

Answer 4

in my opinion i don't locate any solace in desiring a guy to go through, in specific cases I wish they have been greater expertise. i stumble on men (properly those that are on the brink of me besides) have a powerful expertise of a women folk's emotions. yet to respond to your question "does distress love company"... i think i'd presume with a view to be actual of a few human beings, yet not each physique that is going via distress needs others to go through.

Answer 5

Jealousy is an ugly thing.And it will always be around.It's best to ignore the ones bringing you down and continue on .Misery just doesn't like to be alone.

Answer 6

It is quite simple: no one enjoys feeling inferior to others. They determined to drag you down to their level, so they can feel more comfortable in their skin. That doesn't say much for their self esteem or respect for your feelings. If I were you, I would completely cut them off from your life.

Answer 7

people will always get jealous like the morrisey song we hate it when our friends become successful

Answer 8

Ah, don't mind them. You seem to be glad with the woman you are dating, so go ahead with your life. People's attitude can be nasty sometimes.

Answer 9

I always wondered that myself, must be some psychological thing. Anyways; never mind them; you take care of you and that's all you need be doing.