*Originally published: 8th June 2020* We are far more likely to envy people with a very similar lot to us in life than those far removed. It's very easy to envy the coworker who got the promotion we should have got. Or the friend who got the nice car or whatever. Yet, we're completely fine with movie stars living in mansions with 10 cars etc. Likewise, realising how fortunate we are compared to the large percentage of people in the world without access to drinking water somehow doesn't seem to make us feel good at all? This is called a Social Propinquity bias and it more-or-less affects all of us. Some quotes: > “Beggars do not envy millionaires, though of course they will envy other beggars who are more successful.” Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970 > "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum" Noam Chomsky, 1988 [Further reading](https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/putting-psyche-back-psychotherapy/201502/envy-and-social-propinquity?fbclid=IwY2xjawGJXXNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcVQklaeBgIn9gwBmpcakBJO2tGD3RX80IWlUh664vEbOtDW1-AtcnQBAA_aem_prxHkLegJ2D11C0IK0d6uQ)