Forget beauty or money
Forget beauty or money the real thing we envy in others is their skills, according to a new ICM poll, commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). More than a third of people in the poll confessed to envying the skills and abilities of others, whereas only four per cent felt jealous of other people’s beauty.
The survey marks the launch of a new campaign - ‘Our future. It’s in our hands’ - from Government to inspire people and business to improve their skill levels and ultimately support the target set by Lord Leitch in his review of skills for the UK to become a world leader in all levels of skills by 2020.
“Skills are fundamental to our future as individuals and a nation,” explains the new Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham. “This survey reveals a hidden desire that people want to improve their abilities. Given that millions people currently lack skills like basic maths and reading, we have to remind people about their ability to learn. The launch of the advertising campaign is a major step towards achieving the Leitch ambition.”
Professor Raj Persaud, Consultant Psychiatrist at The Maudsley Hospital, supports the theory that envy can be a positive emotion. “If you are working with a colleague who seems more skilled than you, or you are playing sport against someone who seems more able, then feelings of frustration and envy are natural,” he explains.
