Joanne’s new boyfriend texted her constantly to find out what she was doing (and who she was doing it with). He was jealous of her male friends, accusing her of flirting with them and even cheating on him. Joanne was flattered by his jealousy. It made her feel wanted and special. She interpreted it as a sign of his love. Her friends, however, saw his jealousy as unhealthy and a red flag for the relationship.

Jealousy is a common human emotion. Experiencing flashes of the green-eyed monster is normal. It’s natural to feel a certain amount of jealousy in response to a threat, either real or imagined, from a third party. Such a threat might include someone flirting with our significant other, or when our significant other flirts with someone else. Jealousy rears its ugly head at some point during most romantic relationships, but it’s usually temporary, a fleeting pang. In small amounts, jealousy can suggest that our romantic partners are still interested in us and that they don’t want us to be with anyone else.

In some cases though,........

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