17. Is Making Comparisons Wrong?

Do you sometimes compare yourself with others?

I do.

But you have been told that you shouldn't make comparisons.
I agree.

But the human tendency is to compare!

Comparisons can be valuable if we use them as benchmarks. If a colleague of mine is able to go up in his career faster than me, There is nothing wrong in my comparing my career growth with his and deciding to improve myself.

Yes, comparisons are good if you use them to improve yourself. In fact, making comparisons may be the best way to find out how you are doing.

But if comparisons are going to make you jealous, depressed and demotivated, then it is really bad for you.

So, how do you use comparisons? Use comparisons to measure your progress with those of others and find out the improvements you need to make. Comparisons can only be about actions, not about attributes.

Comparing your life with someone else's life and feeling miserable is a recipe for a perpetually unhappy life.

There are people who are better off than you in looks, health, education, profession, financial status, social status, family life, popularity, possession of skills etc. the same way you are better off than many others in one or more of these areas. There is nothing to feel bad about it.

Accept the realities of life.

Focus only on areas you can improve.

If you can do this, you will enjoy making comparisons because you know that you are going to use comparisons to empower yourself and enhance your life.