Envy? Resentment? Neither?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some support and advice on an emotional reaction I keep having.

For a long time, whenever I look at art, watch talented people, or listen to music (especially singers I really admire), I get this sudden weird mix of envy and a kind of low-level resentment or sadness. It happens almost instantly, before I can stop it. I don’t actually hate anyone, and I can still enjoy the work sometimes, but other times it flips into this heavy feeling of “I’ll never be like that”

A clear example is listening to Ado. Some days I can just enjoy her music normally. Other days it makes me feel sad, like her talent and the attention she gets highlight how far I am from where I want to be with my own singing. I know I’m not good at it right now and that comparison is pointless, but the feeling still hits hard and kills my motivation.

I don’t want this to stay with me forever. I want to be able to appreciate talent without immediately turning it into self-doubt or losing the drive to improve. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of instant envy/resentment toward people whose work they actually like? Is noticing it now a good sign, or does it tend to get harder to change the longer it goes on?

Any advice or shared experiences would really help. Thanks for reading.

Posted Aug 13, 2026, 4:47 PM UTC

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