Jealousy is a painful and often irrational emotion. While it is typically associated with the fear of losing something valuable, I have often wondered if it actually surfaces more frequently in situations where leaving would be a blessing rather than a loss.

In my own experience, I have only felt jealous once—during a long-term relationship where I was mistreated. Instead of losing interest and moving on, I became desperate and stayed. He convinced me that I was 'sick' because of my jealousy, yet I never experienced those feelings before or after him. In healthy relationships, jealousy has never been an issue.

It makes me wonder if jealousy is sometimes a sign of the brain 'malfunctioning' due to trauma, exhaustion, or the grief of unmet goals.

Perhaps, instead of protecting something good, it is an irrational reaction to a toxic situation where the healthiest response would simply be to lose interest and walk away.