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From a guy’s perspective: Is jealousy good for a relationship?

 

By Josh MasonTue Sep 27 3:02pm UTC

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Jealousy is the emotion of feeling insecure, scared or anxious. In a relationship, jealousy comes out when you have strong feelings towards your partner, but someone or something is making you feel these emotions. Jealousy can have positive and negative effects on a relationship, depending on the circumstances. Find out if the jealousy you have in your relationship is a positive or a negative influence.

Is another person making you jealous?

Whether it is an ex, or someone that is flirting a little too much with your partner, it is natural to get jealous of someone who could be considered as competition. Think back before you started dating. Did you dress nicely, work out and tried your hardest to impress? However, did you become “lazy” after the relationship became comfortable? When we get jealous because someone else is invading our territory within the relationship, we often resort to trying to impress our partner again. This is a good type of jealousy as long as both partners remain faithful to the relationship. It makes both of you try harder to impress the other and gives that primal spark that was there in the beginning.

Education

One reason that couples face jealousy within a relationship is when one partner has a higher level of education than the other does. Typically, we go to college or graduate school to obtain a better career, or a higher level of knowledge. When one partner does not have the desire or intellect to achieve higher education, they can become jealous of their partner. This type of jealousy is counterproductive to a thriving relationship. The reason is that both partners should want each other to succeed in their career and life. Remember that you or your partner is trying to achieve a higher level of education to help long-term success, which is a positive aspect.

Is your partner controlling?

Jealousy that stems from something as simple as your partner hanging out with their friends once a week can be considered controlling. This type of jealousy does not help the relationship in a positive aspect. When one partner has a controlling behavior, it is common that they will get jealous over anything and almost everything you do without them around. This type of jealousy can wreak havoc on an otherwise healthy relationship. If you sense that your partner is controlling, you can explain the situation to them in a way that takes away from the jealousy and allows you to have your own free time.

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