My guess is that people widely and generally sense that labeling some position

as driven by envy/ jealousy will be regarded as extremely insulting to the

position taker, possibly more so when the diagnosis is correct than when it is

wrong. And if calling a position “envy-driven” is perceived as the equivalent of

describing its holder as a childish mental basket case, then it is quite

understandable how a general taboo has arisen.

 

But should this general taboo extend to psychology texts when it creates such a

large gap in the correct, psychological explanation of what is widespread and

important? My answer is no.

 

Nine: Reciprocation Tendency

 

The automatic tendency of humans to reciprocate both favors and disfavors has

long been noticed as extreme, as it is in apes, monkeys, dogs, and many less

cognitively gifted animals. The tendency clearly facilitates group cooperation

for the benefit of members. In this respect, it mimics much genetic programming

of the social insects.

 

We see the extreme power of the tendency to reciprocate disfavors in some wars,

wherein it increases hatred to a level causing very brutal conduct. For long

stretches in many wars, no prisoners were taken; the only acceptable enemy being

a dead one. And sometimes that was not enough, as in the case of Genghis Khan,

who was not satisfied with corpses. He insisted on their being hacked into