The Rules of Engagement

Weapons of Mass Destruction

conscious thinking. It can also give rise to frustration, anger, offense, resent ment, and bad feelings. Irritations are very subjective and are predicated on an individual’s tolerance level and ability to focus and concentrate. Examples of this are: people talking behind you at a movie, a waitress mixing up your order, tardiness, nagging, skin irritations, etc. (See Numbers 25:17–18.) J ealousy /E nvy Jealousy is an emotion provoked by any perceived threat to a relationship. Most people use the word jealousy interchangeably with envy . However, there is a difference. Jealousy stems from insecurity, a sense of ownership, or obsession. A jealous person usually does not want anyone else to share what or who they “possess.” Conversely, envy causes a person to covet the possession of another. Jealousy may involve varying degrees of emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety, and rage. However, many psychologists have defined jealousy as the sense of “distress” or “discomfort” experienced over a partner’s real or imagined involvement with another. Even though jeal ousy occurs in all types of dyadic relationships, extreme cases are commonly associated with romantic relationships. It has been reported that in these extreme cases, jealousy has been known to drive people to commit heinous crimes. (See Proverbs 6:34; Song of Solomon 8:6.) J udgmentalism Judgmentalism is the inclination toward making moral judgments based on personal context and preference. People have a tendency to judge others in an attempt to force them into conformity, basically because they feel some kind of fear of their own skeletons in the closet or because what they see in others may be hidden deep within themselves. (See James 4:11–12.) L ack of S piritual E ndowments Lack of faith, fruit of the Spirit, wisdom, focus, purpose, hope, or submission falls under this category. (See Daniel 5:27.)

91