Jealousy has always been an inevitable part of some friendships.

Many people reading this will have felt the pang of jealousy after spotting a photo of a pal with their new partner on Instagram. Or have perhaps experienced those conflicting feelings of envy and happiness for a friend who finds a new best friend at work. And then there are the confusing times when a friendship group hangs out somewhere without inviting you along.

However, despite it being so common among friendships, there’s a bit of a taboo when it comes to admitting these kinds of feelings. No one wants to be known as the green-eyed monster in the group, right?

But new research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that a little bit of jealousy can actually bring something positive to some friendships.

Jealousy in friendships isn’t always a bad thing, according to new research