Social comparisons
Social comparison is the evaluation of yourself, your performance or characteristics by reference to other people.
Definition
Social comparisons help us orient ourselves in norms and opportunities, but they can also lower self-esteem, increase jealousy or distort the image of our own progress. Upward comparisons can inspire or overwhelm, and downward comparisons can provide relief or block development. The key question is whether the comparison provides useful information.
Key ideas
- Reference to others
- Impact on self-esteem
- Information versus self-flagellation
Practice and life
When you compare yourself with someone, write down one learning point and one contextual difference that makes the comparison not completely equal.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to compare your process with someone else's end result. A common mistake is to ignore resources, time, support and launch conditions.
> Comparison can provide information, but it easily turns into a judgment.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- Does this comparison help me act?
- What context am I leaving out?
- What exactly can I get from this comparison without destroying myself?