Why does Rob Kurzban think envy causes the most harm in modern life?

Asked which emotion causes the most havoc today, Rob Kurzban picked envy, with the appetite for moral condemnation as runner-up. He argued that ancestral humans saw only a few possible rivals, while Instagram and other platforms show endless people with great success and many friends, pushing the envy system into overdrive. He added that people often compare themselves with false beliefs about how earlier generations lived, then get angry and blame governments or policies.

• Kurzban admitted feeling envy himself when another guest had appeared on the podcast three times.
• Kurzban said every generation has been materially better off than the last, though that is a simplification.

▸In their words

“Envy, almost without a doubt.” Rob Kurzban · at 2:15:30 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Modern Wisdom (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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