2022-06-11

In English the colour green is associated with jealousy1, which is sometimes jokingly called 'the green-eyed monster'. But it's no joke when jealousy takes over your life. Researchers are only starting to understand how jealousy can go wrong in the human brain.

Mild jealousy is a normal, healthy emotion; it's part of what makes us tick. Who hasn't experienced sibling2 rivalry3 or felt left out when their partner spends time with other people? Feeling jealous helps us value our loved ones and protect our important relationships.

But for a small number of us, extreme jealousy can lead to obsessive4 behaviour like stalking. It can also cause depression, destroy relationships and even kill – morbidly5 jealous people can become violent or suicidal.

Now researchers in Italy believe they've found the area of the brain responsible for obsessive jealousy, which is called Othello's syndrome6, named after the Shakespeare character who kills his wife because of jealousy.