This is the fifth in a series of Right Brain Workouts devoted to the Seven Creative Juices. Using the Seven Deadly Sins as my starting point, I’ve audaciously re-positioned them as the natural forces that drive creativity, innovation, invention, the arts, and human progress. Today we meet Envy.

Show me a creative person who doesn’t want a piece of the spotlight, and I’ll show you where to bury him.

The world’s greatest explorers, inventors, innovators, artists, musicians, actors, writers... even politicians—all of them are going to look over their shoulders sometime today, because of me, Envy. That’s because you just don’t know where you stand unless you know where your rivals stand.

Dante said I was, “loving what you have so much that you don’t want anybody else to have theirs.” Or something like that.

I think he was talking about schadenfreude. I can’t pronounce it either, but it means getting your kicks from someone else’s licks.

But that’s not me at all! Honey, I know pleasure, and I can tell you, it doesn’t get any better than when you share it. Besides, if we both want the same thing, we’re both going to work a whole lot harder and perform a whole lot better to get it. Now what’s wrong with that?

I’m sometimes asked, “Can’t I be good, even if nobody recognizes it?” Of course, your can! But unless somebody recognizes it, you’re left with a deeply lonely satisfaction and not much motivation for improving your next performance.

What’s the best part of any performance? I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s the applause. You want to know why folks applaud? Creative jealousy, that’s why. Do you really think there’d be Lady Gaga if it hadn’t been for Madonna and Marilyn Monroe? A Jim Carrey without Jerry Lewis? A Spider-man without Batman?

Do you think supermodels would prance down the runway in their underwear if nobody applauded? If you didn’t tell them with your applause and adoring gaze that you wish you were in their shoes?

You see, I drive the performers who inspire the audiences who urge on the performers. That’s why creative people clap the loudest. They’re the ones shouting, “Bravo!” and stamping their feet at the opera. Why? Because they want to keep the wheel of Envy spinning. So that when they get up there, they can be envied, too. Maybe even more.

It’s not just applause. It’s trophies, awards, prizes... It’s breaking records, setting goals, keeping statistics. And all because of me, Envy. I’m your reward for creative pain. You know me when your rivals swoon in jealous resignation of your accomplishments.

Let’s face it, if you didn’t want what your betters have, you’d never get any better. And then where would we be?

Read about all Seven Creative Juices: Pride, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Envy, Anger, and Sloth.

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This Right Brain Workout appeared for the first time on IdeaConnection.