Navigating the extremes of jealousy
Have you heard of Othello, one of Sheakspeare's famous works? Even if you have not read this work, you may not be a stranger to the feeling of jealousy. In this immortal work, Othello and his wife Desdemona are a couple who love each other with great love. One day Desdemona loses her handkerchief, the first gift Othello gave to his great love Desdemona. Desdemona cannot find this handkerchief, which means so much to their love. Othello begins to suspect his wife due to jealousy and paranoia.
Iago, who seizes the handkerchief, devises an evil plan for Desdemona and Othello. He slowly implants in Othello's mind the idea that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio like embroidery on a handkerchief. Othello, burning with jealousy, first kills Cassio and then his only love Desdemona. After it is too late, after many lives have been taken, it is revealed that everything was a treacherous plan of Iago. Othello cannot bear the pain of what he has been through and commits suicide, while Iago is sentenced to death.
Although this bitter story is not true, the feeling of jealousy exists in the real world. We all develop jealousy to some extent and it is almost impossible to draw a clear boundary between what is "normal" jealousy and what is pathological jealousy. Although the nature, rationale and origin of jealousy are not fully understood, it is a very common emotion.
Despite its prevalence in interpersonal relationships, jealousy is a complex and difficult concept to define. It is usually defined as a negative emotional reaction that is evoked when a person loses or fears losing a relationship due to the threat of a real or imagined rival.
The magnitude of this reaction varies from person to person. Some people internalize the feeling of jealousy and their reactions grow accordingly. Obsessive and uncontrollable behaviors may occur in the person. This is called delusional jealousy or Othello Syndrome. Othello Syndrome is a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions of infidelity or jealousy. It often occurs in the context of medical, psychiatric or neurological disorders. Othello Syndrome was described by British psychiatrists J. Todd and K. Dewhurst in their book "Othello Syndrome: An investigation into the psychopathology of sexual jealousy" by British psychiatrists J. Todd and K. Dewhurst.
Impressive descriptions of the emotional experiences and behavior of the individual who feels jealousy can be found not only in Sheakspeare, but also in Guy de Maupassant's "An Evening" or, in our country, in Namik Kemal's "Intibah". Jealousy and