Envy from the Perspectives of Rumi and Adler

ABSTRACT
Jealousy is one of the negative and unpleasant emotions that an individual may experience, and it inflicts the greatest harm upon the envious person themselves. An envious individual is one who wishes for the blessings of others to diminish. As a morally reprehensible trait, envy has long been reflected in Persian language and literature. Iranian poets and writers, as moral guides and teachers of humanity, have utilized this theme to enumerate its detrimental effects. Rumi (Mawlana), in his role as a profound teacher of the 7th century AH, addressed this characteristic extensively. Conversely, the science of psychology, which concerns itself with the virtues, vices, excesses, and deficiencies of human behavior, has also shown considerable interest in this subject. Alfred Adler, the renowned psychiatrist, is among the scholars who have produced valuable work in this area. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and an interdisciplinary approach, this article evaluates the perspectives of Rumi and Adler—two thinkers who examined this phenomenon in different eras and contexts. Among the findings of this research is the common belief shared by both in the root of jealousy: the feeling of inferiority.
Introduction
Envy is one of the negative and unpleasant emotions humans have faced throughout history, suffering its disagreeable consequences. In essence, envy is a troublesome force that creates difficulties for both the envious individual and the object of their envy. The primary focus of this article is to investigate the causes and psychological roots of envy within the jealous individual.
According to standard dictionary definitions, an envious person not only experiences distress at witnessing another's good fortune but also actively desires the diminishment or destruction of that blessing and may devote effort toward that end.
Considering the universality of envy as a fundamental human concern, research on the subject spans multiple disciplines. The topic has received significant attention within literary texts, psychology, religious studies, and mysticism. This article investigates the theme of envy across two domains: Persian literature and psychology. Within Persian literature, the motif of envy is extensively reflected. This study specifically examines the perspective of Rumi among classical Persian poets and writers. From the field of psychological theory, it analyzes the views of Alfred Adler. Both Rumi and Adler share common ground regarding the underlying causes and roots of jealousy, as well as potential approaches for its remedy.
This article examines the concept of envy—its causes, psychological roots, and potential remedies—from the distinct perspectives of the poet and mystic Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (7th century AH) within Persian literature, and the psychologist Alfred Adler (1870–1937) within the field of individual psychology.
Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī, known as Rūmī, was a 7th-century AH poet and mystic. His Masnavi-ye Ma'navi stands as his magnum opus, a work that engages with the full spectrum of contemporary sciences and spiritual thought.
Alfred Adler (1870–1937) was an Austrian-Hungarian ophthalmologist, psychiatrist, and neurologist, best known as the founder of the school of individual psychology. Some of his works are as follows:

The Practice and Theory of Personal Psychology (1924)
Understanding Human Nature (1927)
Pattern of Life (1930)
The Science of Living (1930)
Social Interest: A Challenge to Mankind (1933)

This article first presents a general overview of the concept of envy. It then separately outlines the theories of Rumi and Adler regarding its nature and etiology in humans. The analysis reveals a significant point of convergence between the two thinkers in identifying the root cause of envy. Subsequently, remedies and treatments for envy from Rumi’s perspective are examined. The article concludes by synthesizing and comparing Rumi’s insights with Adler’s psychological theory on the subject.
Literature Review
So far, there has been no independent research based on the opinions of these two characters, Rumi and Adler regarding jealousy. But below are some works that are similar to this topic:

Arab, A., and Haghpanah, Y. (2011): Relying on Adler's school of psychology, the authors try to analyze Saalik's poems with an Adlerian approach, based on the proliferation of humiliation in the sick structure of power, which indicates the creation of an inferiority complex and, as a result, a feeling of inferiority.
Al-Ghazali, M. (2009): In the second volume of this book, the author has devoted a section to jealousy and its harms and its treatment.
Golestani Bakht, T. Zamani (Allah daad), M., & Rahmani Farshbaf, S. (2018: In this article, the author has examined the issue of inferiority complex and compensating for inferiority, which is one of the topics of Adlerian psychology, in Kleider's novel.
Golizadeh, P., and Kianchi, N. (2012): This research, by using the concepts of psychology and mythology, is focused on revealing some mysterious aspects of Masnavi Manavi. The psychological analysis of the story of the Romans and the Chinese based on Freud's theories of the individual unconscious, Jung's collective unconscious and archetype of the self, and Jung's and Adler's psychological complexes has been considered in this research.
Hemmati, M., and Shirvani Shiri, A. (2021): In this article, the conceptualization of envy in the Holy Qur'an and the origin and consequences of this vice in the individual and social dimensions have been discussed.
Ibn Moskawieh, A. (2002): In this book, Ibn Moskawieh has discussed issues related to self-improvement and ways to achieve good morals.
Kaluzna Wielobob, A. Wlodzimierz, S., and Jan, C. (2020). Community feeling and Narcissism as two opposite phenomena, Zurich open repository and archive, university of Zurich. This research is a test to measure the link between narcissism and Adler's speciesism theory.
Mohammadi, F. (2021): In this article, the author has examined the story of the Jewish king and minister in the Masnavi of Rumi from the psychological point of view of cognitive error and the problems that the bipolar fundamentalist mentality creates in the analysis of problems, which is one of the psychological issues.
Mohebi, A (2011): In this thesis, the researcher has investigated the issue of envy from the perspective of Rumi.
Anderson, R. E. (2002): The author proves with practical reasons and arguments that clinical studies on jealousy and narrow-mindedness represent biophysical patterns, including the mental, perceptual, cognitive, emotional and intentional functions of these two mental states.
Shahabi, A. Sotodian, M. Mohseni, A. Rajabi, M. (2013): In this article, the authors have compared the issue of envy from Saadi's point of view with Adler's view on the issue of envy.
Tusi, N. (1985): In this book, Khajah Nasir-al-din Tusi, one of the Iranian scientists, has discussed the causes of envy and its treatment method in a part of the book titled "In the treatment of mental diseases and...".

Methodology
This article constitutes a fundamental-theoretical study conducted using a comparative analytical method. Each topic was examined and analyzed separately from the perspectives of Rūmī and Adler. The research is based on library studies, utilizing note-taking techniques and the index card method for data collection; the findings were subsequently classified and analyzed. Given that the foundational knowledge of both Persian literature and psychology has been integral to the development of this article, its findings are relevant for students and researchers in both disciplines.
Discussion
Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi and Alfred Adler each investigated the concept of envy and the causes of its creation in their own period and field and found its roots.
Rumi mentioned several factors as effective factors in the formation of envy, and avoiding these characteristics can be a cure for this reprehensible trait. Among the factors that Rumi considered to be effective in causing envy, one can mention the feeling of lack and inferiority, comparison, forbidden morsel and lack of love. Rumi has also mentioned the consequences for a jealous person, which include avoiding God's mercy and losing the ability to distinguish between good and evil and right and wrong, and preventing them from reaching perfection. Rumi has also mentioned remedies to remove the feeling of jealousy in a jealous person. Among them: humility, avoiding comparison, feeling contentment, and feeling grateful.
Alfred Adler, like Rumi, has considered the root of envy in feeling of inferiority, lack and comparison.
Conclusion
In any detailed investigation of an issue, reaching its root cause is a prerequisite for understanding its depth and formulating a treatment plan. Through their respective examinations of the concept, results, and consequences of envy, both Rūmī and Adler identified its psychological origin in humans. Despite the significant temporal, geographical, and cultural distance between them, they arrived at a strikingly convergent conclusion regarding the source of envy. Both thinkers located its source in a sense of lack and self-deprecation. According to their theories, feelings of inferiority and deficiency in an individual can engender envy. Envy may also arise from the act of comparing oneself with others while overlooking one’s own inherent capacities and blessings.