Many people say that comparing yourself to others is harmful and totally unhealthy. However, they never try to see it from a different perspective. Surprisingly, it is possible to find your individuality (and not lose it, as is believed), and even increase your self-esteem.
If the act of comparing yourself to others is making your stomach churn already, try to turn it into a positive habit instead. As some people say: if you can’t beat them, join them. We offer you 5 reasons why you shouldn’t give up the habit of comparing yourself to others.
You Achieve More
By comparing yourself to others, you get inspiration from other people and that, in turn, helps you grow. It may be motivated by someone else’s productivity or persistence. Compare yourself to these people and try to adopt their best habits. However, keep in mind that the number of likes is not worth comparing.
Your finances should also be kept out of the competition because that will only lead you to believe that the world is unfair. Instead, for example, try to understand why someone has so much money (if not inherited, of course).
That way, you will have an idea of how much effort it takes to have a good life. You must observe what other successful people do and learn from them.
Please note that mindless imitation will not work. This acquired knowledge must be tailored to your needs. In this case, you embody mindfulness, ask questions, and don’t just copy other people.
You Learn To Be More Grateful
When we constantly strive to be better and better, we tend to take ordinary things for granted. Fortunately, comparing your life to other people’s can be an effective gratitude practice. Simply being aware of the fact that you have a home, a bed, and food can cultivate an appreciation for your life.
Some people don’t have half of what you do, so the next time you go to bed, just before your head hits the pillow, take a minute to remind yourself how happy you are to have a comfortable bed.
It Helps You Cope With Regrets
A study from Concordia University found that comparing our regrets with those of others can cultivate positive emotions. 104 people of different ages participated in the experiment. They were invited to share their biggest regrets. Those who thought other people’s regrets were worse showed an increase in positive emotions.
This is called top-down social comparison. The idea is to feel better because someone is worse than us. This increases our self-esteem, promotes positive emotions, and alleviates anxiety.
It Helps You Solve Problems
Comparing your problems to those you’ve been through can be comforting and motivating. We can even imagine the people we turn to for advice as our imaginary parents.
We can identify how other people face similar problems and implement some of their solutions to our own struggles. Interestingly, you can avoid problems in the first place by realizing how others have failed.
After some scrutiny and comparisons, you’re less likely to screw it up.
You Fix Your Personality Flaws
In fact, it is possible to increase your self-confidence by comparing yourself to others. For example, if you are extremely shy, you can become more sociable by comparing and admiring another person.
Even if you are not, say, an extrovert by nature, you can learn to be that way by imitating others. Well, this is how humans evolved, through comparison and imitation.
It’s also easy to adjust your bad behavior once you see someone behaving so badly. This brilliant example is instantly ingrained in your memory, and you will likely never behave that way again.
Do you compare yourself to others? If so, how does it feel to do this?
Preview photo credit The Devil Wears Prada / 20th Century Fox, The Devil Wears Prada / 20th Century Fox
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