Oh, yes, we’re gonna dive deep into why we as a species compare ourselves to others. Or compare in general.
Well, you’ll likely be surprised to learn that comparison is a natural activity. Every animal with a functioning prefrontal cortex and a hippo on campus does this to determine the more important things in life, like what to eat and why pizza?
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And life is full of these small, yet significant (or not) choices, which can have both positive and negative consequences.
On the plus side, comparisons are great because of course these two dresses are the same, yet their pricing is different depending on the store. That in turn allows you to save money.
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And on the other hand, comparing things might just end up leaving you disappointed that your car or house or Pokemon collection isn’t as good as that of your friend or neighbor.
And it actually hits harder when we’re not comparing things, but rather ourselves to others. That’s called social comparison, and it can go both ways.
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Festinger and his social comparison theory studied human comparisons, noting an upward and downward trajectory.
Upward social comparisons involve comparing yourself to those superior to you. At first, it was believed that it only led to negative self evaluations, but the further the study went, the more nuances it uncovered that actually proved that it could boost self-esteem and motivation.
Downward social comparisons are when folks compare themselves to those they perceive as being lesser than them, leading to a sense of superiority that reinforces self worth.
Studies showed that such comparisons were often employed to reduce the sense of threat from others, but ended up worsening distress and inducing feelings of guilt over the perceived superiority.
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Well, instead of comparing yourself to others, try these on for size:
First and foremost, identify your triggers and avoid them. If there’s a scenario, place or even an individual that makes you engage in comparisons (like feeling uncomfortable in large spaces due to their size), avoid and don’t engage with them.
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