Scientists explain what men and women envy about each other

Envy is a complex emotion that can take various forms, often shaped by both social and biological factors. However, researchers have now described a new type of envy imbalance directed toward the opposite sex.

The research team discovered that women tend to envy men due to perceived social advantages, such as their salaries and prestige, as well as biological factors related to strength and the absence of menstruation.

Men, on the other hand, envy women for their physical attractiveness, ease in seduction, and ability to fulfill the traditional role of motherhood.

Despite society being much more open than in the past, gender inequality remains a global issue. The roles society assigns us, both directly and indirectly, can profoundly impact our lives.

This pressure can influence how we behave, what we wear, the kind of life we are expected to lead, and even the emotions we are expected to express and when. Failure to comply with such societal rules often leads to social sanctions, resulting in feelings of shame, anger, and sadness.

The researchers were inspired by observations that discussions with students and during therapeutic interventions sometimes involved recurring patterns of emotional imbalance. These discussions revealed a level of envy that often affects relationships between men and women.

Modern scientific literature is full of studies on envy. Still, much less attention has been given to how it operates between the sexes in contemporary society, especially as gender roles and boundaries continue to evolve.

"The aim of our study was to identify these objects of envy in a representative sample and thus verify our hypothesis," the scientists wrote.

The team analyzed data collected from a sociological research project. The data involved approximately 1,800 participants aged 15 to 94. Participants were asked an open-ended question, which allowed them to provide fully individual, independent responses: "What do you envy in the other sex?"

The answers, ranging from one word to several sentences, were then subjected to thematic analysis. In this case, the answers were categorized under specific codes, which were then grouped into supercategories: social advantages and physical and psychological traits.

Women envy men for:

• Social privileges
• Higher salaries
• Career advancement opportunities
• The ability to relax more easily
• Freedom from societal pressure on appearance
• Their strength
• The absence of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause
• The ability to urinate while standing

"Women often feel that society does not permit them to age naturally, which leads to the envy of men who are able to tolerate many of the associated changes. These include the ability to age into beauty, the lack of the need to spend an hour in front of a mirror before leaving the house, the ability to spend time and money at the hairdresser’s, the ease of dressing requirements, the lack of judgment on their appearance, the absence of cellulite, and the ability to go without makeup to look good," the researchers added.

Men envy women for:

• Physical beauty, especially attractiveness
• Soft curves
• Elegance
• Sexual appeal
• Seductive abilities, where beauty is used as a tool for manipulation
• The use of charm to influence others
• The ability to express emotions more openly without societal judgment
• The ability to bring new life into the world
• Motherhood

Finally, from a psychological perspective, women envied the idea that men are more logical regarding life and their apparent emotional stability. In contrast, men envied women’s ability to multitask and handle complex responsibilities.

These examples highlight key societal expectations that clearly influence how we perceive members of the opposite sex.

While this indicates the presence of a certain form of gender envy, the team also found that many respondents reported no envy toward the opposite sex (more than 42% of women and over 56% of men).

This could suggest that many people are more indifferent to perceived gender differences and view them with greater approval.

According to the researchers, this study provides valuable insight into how the sexes view each other and demonstrates that envy truly exists in social roles, physical traits, and psychological behavior.