Even the best of friends can get jealous of each other sometimes. Think of Ron’s jealousy of Harry’s fame and popularity, or Betty’s enviousness of Veronica’s wealth and relationships. While they were still best friends, both friendships suffered their share of jealousy due to different reasons.

Why does jealousy arise in these relationships anyway? Let’s take a look.

Financial Status

One of the biggest reasons for jealousy arising in friendships has to with money. Whether you like to admit it or not, money matters a lot, especially in this economy. If there is a huge difference in your and your friend’s financial status, it’s likely to cause some friction in the relationship. You may get envious of the fact that your friend has more wealth than you do, to the point that it starts affecting how you view them and the entire friendship.

This is especially likely to happen if you are part of a social circle with a higher financial status than yours. You become acutely aware of the fact that you don’t have as much money as the rest of the group does, making you jealous. Similarly, if you have a friend who frequently buys expensive things or travels to places you can’t quite afford, it may result in you envying their wealth and fortune.

Career Status

This is likely to affect friendships in which two or more friends are in the same profession, or better yet, work at the same organization. While friends don’t typically envy each other’s professional success, this can become a clashing factor if a friend in the same profession as them earns more or has had more success.

For instance, if both you and a close friend of yours are in the entertainment industry and are performers, you may be slightly bothered if they continue signing new deals and doing more shows while you seem to have hit a slump. Over time, this can turn into full-fledged jealousy that may end up ruining your friendship.

Similarly, if a coworker—who’s also a good friend—gets promoted or is more widely appreciated by your employers, this may affect your friendship as well. It can add competition in your relationship and lead to feelings of jealousy.

Relationship Status

Did the news of your friend’s engagement make you feel anxious and upset instead of happy for them? Do you feel bothered by the fact that almost all of your friends are in stable relationships while you’re single? Relationship status can also cause jealousy among friends.

This is particularly likely to happen if you’re specifically looking to be in a romantic relationship and things haven’t been going the way you’d like. It may also occur if your friend seems to be giving you less attention than they used to before they found their significant other and doing all the things you too would like to participate in with them. The constant social comparison can get in the way of your friendship and ruin the bond that you two once shared.

Rekha Shrivastava at Blossom Hypnosis uses subconscious mind healing techniques to help clients express their emotions and recognize their feelings of jealousy. She also offers Skype sessions to her clients who aren’t based in Rochester, NY.