Comparison

Whenever we want to buy certain products like shampoo, cellphone, beverage, or many other things, we never fail to do one thing: compare. We compare the prices of commodities. We compare the tastes of fried chickens served in different fast food chains. We literally compare almost anything, and that includes ourselves and other people.


At school, many students would ask for the examination score or the grades of their classmates. At work, people sometimes compare their salaries or their work load. In life, some people would compare what their friends or colleagues have achieved or are achieving.

It's probably human nature to compare ourselves with others. The good thing about this is that it can bring some learning and insights. If I compare myself to another person, I can learn from his strengths and weaknesses. Another good thing about comparing is that it can be the root of a healthy competition. If I compare myself to a diligent or a smart person, I could take it as a challenge to study harder and be at par with that person.

On the other hand, if comparison breeds jealousy, it becomes a sword that continuously stabs my heart. It can cause insecurities. How did she get a higher grade even if I studied a lot harder? Why is he earning more even if I'm doing more work? What makes this worse is if it becomes the root of unhealthy competition. The worst effect of a comparison is whenever I decide to take action to pull someone down just because I couldn't keep up with him.

Comparing ourselves to others, like many other things, is a double-edged sword. If comparison is abused despite the jealousy and insecurity that it may cause, it can only pull us down, as well as the unfortunate victim to whom we have compared ourselves. However, when handled responsibly and within the limits of morality, it can motivate us to achieve higher goals.