That sounds familiar! I was born in Russia - far away from ancient Jews or Greeks, but we have similar believes. I remember, my mother used to say when I was little, "Do not stick out!" She had her wisdom: our Soviet society only accepted those, who thought and lived alike. We grew up believing in the "the evil eye". When you see your own two years old fainted after a stranger "glued" her swirling look along with her words onto him, "What a cute little boy!" You would have to believe in the "evil eye" especially after the neighborhood women performed in front of your own eyes well known practice to remove it, whispering some magic words above your child’s head and spitting over their left shoulders, until your son finally comes out of the spell. Young mothers in Russia, unlike here in America, never take their newborn babies on public until they turn at least six months old. The fear of the "evil eye and envy is passed from generation to generation.

Soviet mentality was especially envious, and people out of fear to be persecuted were afraid not only to perform their best but to even wear bright colors: Soviet Union was known by its ugly brown, black and indescribable blue. We acted like gladiators: you either fight or get killed while the "kings" and the "generals" enjoyed the "show". It was no time or place to admire another person’s success or beauty. We, Soviets were no different from ancient peasants with small village mentality, gossiping and hating each other because we were made to believe that if someone had more than others then they had it on our account. We were made to believe that the "good" was limited and it was not enough for everybody. When my daughter was born my friends and family told me that I would never be as pretty as I was because daughters take away their mothers’ beauty. Fears like this cause distrust and anger even within the same family. It becomes too personal to remain calm and appreciative of another’s success.

So, I expected it would be really different in America, but watching suburbian high school kids, I discovered such familiar peasant belief in the limited good that later merges into their adulthood: "Mary is prettier than I am, I hate her; "Susanna has a better house (car, husband, children), she is a bitch."  Bulling is the common practice in America and no one seems to be embarrassed by it. So, just one question at the end: will we ever read a modern Socrates or another Shakespeare or we will continue living in sin and fear of Envi?