0

Looking for the word/idiom for the feeling/emotion where one feels jealous and accomplished at the same time.

For context, Person ABC (hereinafter, 'ABC') introduced and taught somebody (hereinafter, 'DEF') the basics of buying and selling stocks. Then after some time, ABC asked how are things going with the buying-and-selling, and found out that DEF earned a lot of money from the market. Now ABC feels both jealous and accomplished at the same time.

I don't think that this is gloating as it's just negative. Or perhaps a word (if there is) related to the feeling that masters have when their students surpass them? Imagining it as an equation, it's like:

Jealousy + Feeling of Accomplishment = ???

5
  • 2
    Just a comment that "hereinafter" is very formal, and only ever used in legal documents. In less formal documents, you might well write "John F Kennedy (JFK for short)" or indeed just use "JFK" on second reference. (Many US politicans are recognised, at least during their time, by their initials: JFK, FDR, MLK and currently AOC.) In your context, you might well write "Person A ... taught person B ..." and then later just call them "A" and "B".
    – jonathanjo
    Jul 26, 2019 at 12:11
  • By feeling of accomplishment do you mean feeling pride in the other person? I've never heard accomplishment used to mean anything other than feeling pride in yourself. In this question, whom or what is the object of the sense of accomplishment? (You for having taught them or them for having succeeded?) Jul 26, 2019 at 13:14
  • 1
    @JasonBassford it seemed clear to me from "ABC feels both jealous and accomplished at the same time". Jul 26, 2019 at 17:01
  • 1
    @WeatherVane So, what is the answer? Pride in yourself as the teacher or pride in the other as the student? (Feeling accomplished is awkward—normally, you either are or aren't accomplished at something. Feeling accomplishment is better. But it's still ambiguous.) Jul 26, 2019 at 20:20
  • @JasonBassford the question does not mention pride but I agree with your earlier comment. It seemed clear to me that "ABC feels accomplished" would refer to ABC's satisfaction in having done a good job. I also agree that it's a poor choice of word, but that could also be said of my answer. Jul 26, 2019 at 20:36

2 Answers 2

3

I can think of no single word for this, and there's nothing wrong with simple description ("felt proud and a little jealous of DEF").

Here are some other phrases you might use:

  • ABC felt a kind of begrudging pride at DEF's success.
  • ABC was proud of DEF's success, and somewhat envious of her.
  • ABC felt a churlish pride at DEF's success.
  • ABC felt pride at having taught DEF so well, but it was a green-eyed pride.
  • ABC was proud of having taught DEF how to trade, but did she have to be quite that good at it?

Definitions from OED. "Green-eyed" is a pretty common phrase, "begrudge" not common, and "churlish" quite uncommon.

begrudge v. To grumble at, show dissatisfaction with; esp. to envy (one) the possession of; to give reluctantly, to be reluctant.

churlish adj. Sordid, niggardly, stingy, grudging.

green-eyed adj. Describing and alluding to jealousy.

2

There have been similar questions on SE English Language & Usage such as

Single word for happy and envious at the same time

What's a word for a positive kind of “envy” without the sense of resentment?

A word that describes a positive form of envy

but they don't satisfy this question, and envy and jealousy aren't quite the same thing. I don't know if the word you want even exists, although there are mixed-emotion words like schadenfreude (but which doesn't mean what you want). The closest emotion I can think of is awe which is given by Lexico as

awe
NOUN

1A feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
How easy is it to lose yourself and what's important to you when you meet someone who impresses you, or someone who fills you with awe, or fear?

That word doesn't really cover the ideas of jealousy and satisfaction but this is my example sentence.

I was in awe of my former student DEF when he told me how much money he makes.

0

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .