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Why Are Successful People Always Judged? Here's How Success Can Be a Win-Win for Everyone Why, from the outside looking in, do we feel the need to pick holes in other people's success? Is it jealousy? Or a simple fact of life? If someone wins, you do not necessarily lose.

By Joanna Knight Edited by Micah Zimmerman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We've all been there. Admit it. We've all seen someone on television or in business who is super successful, and we have judged them and made assumptions. Successful leaders provide inspiration and direction. They are bold, passionate and ambitious. They also — and this is the kicker — empower and nurture the strengths of others, building a team and uniting them in a common goal. They recognize the importance of people.

So, why, from the outside looking in, do we feel the need to pick holes in their strategies or cast assumptions? Psychologists would argue that jealousy is simply a part of everyday life, something we learn as children, often due to feeling lacking in one area or another. It's a case of someone else winning, then you lose.

Understanding that it happens is one thing. Reading up on the research is quite fascinating. But what are we going to do about it?

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