Envy

The concept of envy has been in the press recently in a non philatelic context. Envy is the feeling of pain at that which someone else has and which you wish that you had. Philately is one of the hobbies one would think would be most prone to envy. After all most collectors are after the same items and most philatelic material is sold at auction which means that competition for material is largely a matter of size of wallet. Perhaps some of the appeal of ultraspecialization is to keep the fires of envy from burning too fiercely in the specializing collector. If he is the only one who can appreciate the importance and scarcity of the item he desires he runs no risk of losing it to others and fanning his envy. But another factor plays in here and it is that which has gotten so much press in the political arena. Some people's main drive in acquiring important philatelic material or material goods is to stoke the envy of others. Their self esteem is enhanced by eliciting envy in others. Most of us would like to own an airmail invert and are happy for the collector who does. Most owners of airmail inverts are doing so because they are serious collectors who want and can afford the best. But there are a subset of collectors and politicians who see envy in others when it is really they who feel joy at being able to tease out that feeling by ungracious displays of ostentation.