The Envy of Friends Successes

This I seriously cannot understand.

When a friend of mine is succeeding in something, getting a better job or finding love, I only feel joy. I am happy for my friend, and hope that he or she will make it.

But, this is obviously not so for everybody. I see the green light of envy and jealousy is flickering in the eyes of people that I know are normaly very good and gentle people, people that I would not hesitate one second to count among my best friends.

In Scandinavia there is even a name for it - the Law of Jante, which actually comes from a book by Aksel Sandemose where it is defined as:
"This is Jante: each little soul's struggle for coequality and recognition, never without consciousness that all the others are greater than he."
http://www.waste.org/~xtal/red/jante.html

I have experienced this twice now. First when I was selected as a moderator on the Swedish Flashback. Second when I now have perhaps a chance of loving someone, after a very long time being alone. Yes, teasing, making fun of me and joking - that is ok. I welcome that. But somehow, there is also resentment, fear maybe of me leaving and perhaps jealosy.

I don´t understand it. And I don´t like it. But, I guess it is human, and since these are my friends, I forgive it.