“You shouldn´t compare yourself to others!”, people might tell you.
Of course, without an explanation this is about as good advice as “Just be yourself!” or “Just be more confident!”.
Most likely it will not help at all.
One reason is that there is always someone - or more likely, a bunch of folks – better than you.
If you focus your mind to compare your life to other people´s lives you will always find someone new above you. And your self-esteem will take a beating.
If you get a nicer car to feel better compared to Bill Patterson next door and you´ll feel satisfied for a while. The next day, on you way to work, you notice that the guy who´s always out walking his poodle at weekends has an even sweeter ride than you.
And if you buy a better car than him six months later then you will soon notice that the Amberson kid around the corner has made millions via some internet-contraption and now drives a Koenigsegg to school
One of the big reasons we compare our lives is to get approval. And in general I think that wanting approval from others is a big obstacle in both personal growth and living a happy life. We may want the neighbours, friends etc. to think/say: “Did you see that new car/swimming-pool/shoes? It is the coolest on the block. S/he´s is moving up in the world”.
A problem with comparing yourself to others and wanting approval from them is that you let others control how you feel in life. You feel bad when you are saving for the new car. You feel great when you finally have gotten enough money to drive it home. And then you feel bad again when you see that someone else has an even finer automobile
It´s a bit like being puppet and having other people pulling the strings. They limit you movements and your life. You might have some movement but the strings controls which way you are going
MUHREZ:mf_laughb
