Jealousy

Men & Women have different kinds – Men and women seem to react differently when it comes to philandering spouses. Hilary Clinton was objective about her husband’s sexual adventures but decided to “stand by her man” anyway, while most of the male politicians who have been caught fooling around lately emphasize their emotional involvement with their new partner, as if this somehow justified their infidelity. When it comes to jealousy, men and women react differently, but maybe what both sides should do more of is PRAY.

Research has documented that most men become much more jealous about SEXUAL infidelity than they do about emotional infidelity, while women are the opposite, and this is true all over the world. The prevailing theory is that the difference has evolutionary origins: Men learned over eons to be hyper-vigilant about sex because they can never be absolutely certain they are the father of a child, while women are much more concerned about having a partner who is committed to raising a family.

However, new research now suggests an alternative explanation: It does not question the fundamental gender difference regarding jealousy and even adds additional support for that difference. But the new science suggests that the difference may be rooted more in individual differences in personality that result from one’s history of personal relationships.

Psychologists Kenneth Levy and Kristen Kelly doubted the prevailing evolutionary explanation because there is a conspicuous subset of men who like most women find emotional betrayal more distressing than sexual infidelity. Why would this be? The researchers suspected that it might have to do with trust and emotional attachment. Some people, men and women alike, are more secure in their attachments to others, while others tend to be more dismissive of the need for close attachment relationships. Psychologists see this compulsive self-reliance as a defensive strategy that protects them from deep-seated feelings of vulnerability. These individuals would tend to be concerned with the sexual aspects of relationships rather than emotional intimacy.

9 out of 10 Americans say that they pray, at least on occasion. Psychologist Nathaniel Lambert thinks we should take all that prayer and direct it at the people who have wronged us. It would help US (the people praying) to deal with jealousy better and maybe, in the process, preserve some relationships.

Lambert and his colleagues decided to test this scientifically by having a group of men and women pray one single prayer for their romantic partner

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