this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2024
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I will never understand comparing one's self to others. You're like comparing Xbox to PlayStation. I remember my mother comparing my siblings and I to our cousins who were hustling at a young age (looking back now as an adult, it wasn't a good thing considering their circumstances at the time). I retorted by saying they're different people, why should I care? Then thankfully my dad backed me up from my mom's nonsense!
Opposite for me. Parents always put me down and compared me to others. When I told my mum I wanted to be a plumber because they make a lot of money, she made me clean the toilets in the house for 2 years.
But that desire to gain your parents' approval is strong. I was a dumb kid with bad grades, and while I got into university, it wasn't a top tier one. Worked my butt off everyday, in part because I never got that praisal. Slow and steady, but I finally made it to a good job.
(Granted, plumbers still make a lot and my parents were kind of dicks for not realizing that, but my ambitions grew greater than that dream)
Humans compare themselves to other humans because we're a competitive species. Those who compare themselves tend to improve themselves and climb the social hierarchy. Those who don't - get stuck at the bottom of the food chain.
That's true but we're horrible at making value judgement most of the time. That's why the current generation is arguably the most depressed thanks to social media making us compare ourselves to others.
Edit: just to further emphasise why comparing one's self to others is a terrible idea, Oscar Wilde also once said: "comparison is a thief of joy".