I hate when I have the tendency to compare myself to others...

Why do we tend to compare ourselves to others? I am baffled why we do this to ourselves. I am sitting here thinking about my week and my mind goes to my excited classmates. They are soon to be walking across the stage to receive a degree in psychology. No, I did not think it was necessary to attend since I had already experienced college life in over 40 years ago. We all communicated on GroupMe, along with the professor which I enjoyed listening to their comments for the last several months but especially the last two days. They were worried about the weather (Tarleton held graduation ceremonies outside in MAY), and having the right attire on, to what exactly are they supposed to do. I am constantly thinking about all the advantages of going to school now verses 40 years ago. All the technology available from simply using editor to find all the errors to using word to type up all the papers. So much easier. However, has all this technology hurt us in other ways? Not only with the time that we might waste on using social media, watching videos etc., but are we using social media to compare themselves to others. When I was in school years ago, I had no idea what others made in class unless the professor told us, or I asked someone. I had no idea what people had for dinner, where they went Saturday night, or what knew item they just bought. The only way I knew was if they told me. I think back at how I had no idea that there was another world out there. Now we can see what looks like as other peoples perfect vacations, their more successful careers, and their what seems to be more loving relationships. Social media can create a distorted view of reality if we let it.

So, why do we compare ourselves to others?

One of the primary reasons why we compare ourselves to others is because of our innate need for social belonging. We are social creatures, and we have an inherent desire to feel connected to others. We want to be accepted by our peers and to be seen as valuable members of our communities. We have the tendency to compare our physical appearance, our accomplishments, our social status, our possessions and even our happiness levels to those around us. This is a natural behavior that is deeply ingrained in our psyche and produce negative feelings of shame, self-worth, creating anxiety, depression and unhappiness. On the flip side, and more positive, we could compare ourselves to others in a desire for self-improvement. When we see someone who is more successful or accomplished than we are, it might inspire us to strive for greater things. We may feel motivated to work harder, learn more, or acquire a new skill to improve. However, comparison seems to have more of a negative effect on our well-being. When we constantly compare ourselves to others, we may begin to feel inadequate or inferior which leads to those previously mention problems.

With the rise of social media, it has amplified out tendency to compare ourselves to others and we need to realize this. It is especially important to teach the youth that what they see on FB, Instagram, tic toc, and other social media platforms, can be very misleading and totally inaccurate. We also need to remind ourselves as well lol.

In conclusion, it is normal for us to compare ourselves to others, but we need to use our thoughts wisely. It is important to recognize that when we start down the road of comparison, we focus on our own positive behaviors that will promote self-acceptance, self-love, and personal growth. By doing this, we can cultivate a healthier self-image which leads to a healthier relationship with ourselves but with others as well. I too am going to keep this comparison thing under wraps to the best of my ability.

Hope you enjoyed it!