Of all the subconscious internal emotions & motivations that cause humans to do what they do, one of the biggest is vanity. Everyone’s vanity is that they are the center of the universe. How can it be any different? Even as a child, everything was about you, and though you may mature and recognize the needs of other people, your needs and pride still come first. But, of course, you are certain that you are more the center of the universe than most people, at least in your estimation. When someone else is obviously closer than you are, that is an insult on your vanity. In fact, it’s a twofer, triggering both our vanity and our envy. The more self-aware you are, the better you will be at corralling these emotions so that they don’t affect your happiness or contentment in life, but that’s all up to you.

However, these triggers are reflected in others the same way they affect you, and for the same reasons. This obviously means, that when you do something noteworthy, you create a minefield of snubbed pride & vanity among your peers. You make enemies out of people who previously found you non-threatening and therefore worthy of honest camaraderie; they might even have cavorted with you socially before, maybe even considered you a work friend. That perception changes as the calculation changes; now it’s a zero-sum game: your gain is their loss, both materially and in their personal vanity. People don’t like to be insulted, and even if you didn’t intend it or even want it, you must be aware that it’s going to happen, and protect yourself accordingly. Act as if nothing has changed but know in your heart that it certainly did, and those who were once friends are now closeted enemies.