Some classic appeals to emotion that you should watch out for follow. Appeals to Envy Envy, we are told, is one of the seven cardinal sins. And it is all too common. Perhaps this is why appeals to envy are so seductive. Essentially, a disputant appealing to envy will try to manipulate you into accepting an argument because of jealousy of the other person.
Loaded language is a key indicator that an appeal to envy is being made.
In analyzing controversies, be alert for loaded words or phrases that might be used to trigger and exploit envy. The table below contains a sample of loaded words that appeal to envy. Compare the terms that capitalize on envy in the left column with their more neutral alternatives in the right column. Appeals to Fear Fear as a self-protective response is perfectly reasonable. But this same emotion can also cloud judgment.