Comparison is the thief of joy,” said Theodore Roosevelt. When I was in primary school, phrases like ‘who’s the best at art’ and ‘who’s the best at basketball’ were thrown around without a thought. As I grew older, it slowly turned into ‘who’s the prettiest girl in the class’ and ‘which friend group is the coolest’. We don’t realise how much and how often we compare ourselves to illusions of perfection every day. Whether it’s inquiring about a friend’s grade on the last English assignment or pitching ourselves against celebrities who undergo hours and hours of beauty care. The minute we crane our necks or peep over our shoulders, our happiness is gone and our self-esteem is demolished.
A question I often ask myself is, is it truly fair to compare my entire story to someone else’s cover page—the glamorous vacations, enviable salaries, perfect children and flawless façades? Nobody posts their downs, nobody flaunts job rejections, no one tweets selfies of their mental breakdowns. Pictures on Facebook are just a sliver of the truth and we can’t thrust our self-worth on something so delicate and menial.
It’s so important to recognise where we need to focus the majority of our attention. How do we see past the kids who peak in high school? How do we gain perspective and lose the weight of jealousy all at once? What I find useful is to focus on myself. How do I do my best, instead of being the best? How do I work hard, instead of working the hardest? How do I fulfil my goals, instead of shrinking myself to fit society’s expectations? That’s what matters. Nobody’s going to care about how you almost became prom king, how you were so close to being voted most popular, how you came second instead of first. People will care about how many people you made smile, how you worked so hard to come second, how you made the world a better place!
In today’s day and age, almost everything is a competition, every-thing is a ‘bop to the top’. Take time to enjoy where you are right now. Know that you are your only competition. Promise yourself that you will stop holding yourself up against mirages of consummation. Be unique and bridge the gap of competition by changing ‘you vs me’ into ‘we’!
REFLECTION: Say No to Peer Pressure
Write a short essay on why you should not compare yourself to others.
