Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

Resentment is bitter indignation directed towards you by others who perceive you as interfering with their own objectives, real or imagined. Resentment is also generated in others who are envious of you, or covetous of your things, or simply lust after your wife. You even generate resentment in people who you don't know; every time someone hears your name in a comparison that shows them in poor light, a little bit of resentment seeps in. Resentment is dangerously insidious because we all harbor it yet we never do anything about it, even though we may acknowledge it; “I hate that guy.”

Most people like to control their own destinies; if everyone could choose what they wanted to do, it's unlikely that taking orders from someone else would be their preference. Because control is an evolutionary imperative, if you have even the slightest say over someone else's life, no matter what kind of person you think you are, resentment against you will build. Like arsenic, resentment accumulates but rarely dissipates. Resentment is the reason that enemies are so common and supporters so rare, and what makes a friend ultimately betray you.