https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:35:09 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-304243 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:37:38 +0000 Andrea 304243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's just a saying for me to show happiness for the other person. I am not actually jealous. I think girls like to say things that are a bit extreme i.e. "I am dying!!!!!". No one is really dying. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-304220 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:04:45 +0000 Red 304220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with the ladies above in that more often than not, it's just a way to express happiness for another person. While there might be a smidgen of envy when I say I'm jealous, mostly it's to make the other person feel good about whatever happenend to them, cause you know women love it when other women are jealous of them, There's no malicious intent or direct comparison made in my mind when I utter those words. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-304217 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:01:01 +0000 immabeetoo 304217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it is just conversational - at least that's typically how I use it. 'Jealous' has female connotations, in my opinion, but I can see my husband simply saying "that's awesome" where i'd say "i'm so jealous" when we're experiencing the same reaction (for instance, our friend closing on a house - we're happy, acknowledging that rocks, but also wish a little bit that we were doing the same!).</p> <p>I definitely say or type that I'm jealous far more often than I actually experience the genuine emotion. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-304210 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 22:53:35 +0000 anonysquire 304210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really am a very jealous person. So if I tell someone I am jealous, I mean it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-304070 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:43:14 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 304070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's a compliment in girl circles along the line of what @Mrs. Cowgirl said. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-304001 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:14:25 +0000 Mrs. Cowgirl 304001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@photojane: yep, i totally agree. </p> <p>i think it's more of a hyperbole meaning, "that's so cool! i wish i could do/see/have that, too!" i know i tend to exaggerate a lot (i'm dying, i'm starving, etc, etc), so i think it's just another exaggeration of sorts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303975 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:05:46 +0000 BSB 303975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Yup, that sounds about right. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303971 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:04:20 +0000 mrbee 303971@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@photojane: Haha I refuse to give up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303965 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:03:33 +0000 photojane 303965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: yep, that's her name! &amp; if i were you i wouldn't try to ever understand women... you never will. heck, i don't most of the time. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303946 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:56:02 +0000 mrbee 303946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: Helena Bonham Carter, maybe? Too lazy to check with google!</p> <p>@photojane: I guess I still don't get it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303838 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:27:47 +0000 photojane 303838@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's generally said in a light-hearted way between women - not because we're truly jealous in a negative or greedy way. I think it's kind of just a saying. For instance in my due date thread I told the ladies I was jealous of their more noticeable movements... it was meant more of a "I'm excited &amp; I can't wait for that!" rather than envy or selfishishness. That beig said, there is totally a difference in how men and women feel/express/understand jealousy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303822 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:24:41 +0000 BSB 303822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if it's gender related but I know my DH gets jealous when anyone he knows goes to Disney or when they see someone famous on the street. A friend of our recently bumped into Tim Burton and his wife. ( I think of her name. She's an actress, too.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303808 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:18:32 +0000 Ms. Fairy Wings 303808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think men are achievement focused. The men I know don't like doing things they aren't good at, so if a man can't play basketball he'll focus his energy on a sport he is good at, like say road cycling. I think men don't get jealous because they don't compare the same way women do.</p> <p>We women are more likely to want to be good at something they aren't. Women will try to do stuff they aren't good at - like right now I'm trying to learn how to cook even though I just have no knack for it. I think we really can appreciate the successes of others, and one way of acknowledging that is by off-handedly saying things like "I'm jealous." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-me-understand-why-do-girls-use-the-phrase-im-jealous#post-303785 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:10:29 +0000 mrbee 303785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of the results of spending my time on female-dominated message boards is that I notice little things that guys don't really say to each other all that often (at least, in my neck of the woods).</p> <p>For example, I'm often surprised at how often girls will respond to a thread announcing some good news by (jokingly? ironically?) saying, "I'm jealous!" Maybe part of it is just personal: when I see someone that is more successful than me, then generally my thoughts turn to myself and I self-flaggelate for my failure! Haha, weird I guess.</p> <p>I guess I become envious a decent amount: I will covet something (usually an achievement) that someone else has. But I'm rarely jealous, where I focus more on the other person who achieved something, versus the achievement itself. (More on the difference <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-know-the-difference-between-jealousy-and-envy">here</a>.)</p> <p>Are other guys like me? I have no idea! But I can't remember the last time a guy ever used the word jealous when we were chatting.</p> <p>Help me understand: why do girls use the phrase, "I'm jealous"? Is it just a saying? Is there a gender difference when it comes to jealousy? </p>