A lot of people would say that it is not right to compare ourselves to others. Our lives are ours to live, regardless of what others are going through. But I personally disagree. I believe that sometimes, it can be beneficial to compare ourselves with others.
It might be beneficial for us in so many ways.
We might be able to learn what our good and bad habits are in reference to others’.
Also, comparing ourselves to others might open opportunities for self-realization and self-improvement.
On the other hand, there might be some negative effects such as being pessimistic, the feeling of jealousy, envy, and self-pity, and in the worst-case scenario, dragging others down in order for us to be on the same level in other words a dog eat dog situation.
Moreover, there is also a tendency to look down on others after making an unfair judgment and comparison thinking that they aren’t on our level.
But the bottom line is, when comparing ourselves to others it is not always intended in a negative way. At the end of the day, it all depends on our own attitudes when making the comparison.
As long as we respect the person whom we are comparing ourselves, we must look at it as a stepping stone for growth and intellectual learning and development, and as a result, we will come out the other side with a positive outcome
Let’s take climbing as an example, some may be able to climb at a fast pace while others drag their heels.
Likewise, someone may be good at sketching a picture, while others are only capable of drawing a stickman
We should know that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. For example, I like to think I am good at communicating in a small group, but lack confidence when it comes to giving a presentation in front of a large audience; I always feel really tense and nervous when I have to make a speech and am only capable of doing so with a ready-prepared script in front of me. So, I highly respect people who do not tremble at the knees when having to speak in front of large audiences or are capable of doing it off the cuff instead of reading from a script as aforementioned.
Let me share a little story with you: When I was young, I truly felt jealous of women who could speak better English than I could, or who I thought looked more attractive and better looking than myself due to their perfect figure, so there were times when I “compared myself with others”.
But as I have grown older and wiser, I have realized that these bitter and negative feelings ruined my chance to better myself. I think I lost a lot of precious time where I could have been learning something new.
As long as we strive to become a better person than we are now there is no need to look down on others through jealousy and envy we must try our best to adopt other people’s qualities and appreciate their qualities at the same time.