People think its ironic how we can compare two completely different things on the same scale. For example, comparing a 4th grader who is still learning to divide to a college student who’s learning calculus. Saying the college student is better at math compared to the 4th grader is completely absurd. Right? These two aren’t even on the same scale. In fact, there is no scale, we have created these scales to compare things on completely different levels. Comparison is the thief of joy. We gain nothing but desperation and self-doubt from comparing others. If we think it so absurd to compare a college student to a 4th grader, how is not absurd to compare people’s lives that we know nothing about to our own? I have often met many people in my life that compare their lives to other people’s that they meet. How can you compare two lives which are on their own scale? We compare someone else’s journey with our own even though the roads are different. Everyone goes through a different mental journey in their life, everyone grows at their own pace. You don’t gain anything from comparing a rose to a tree as they both grow and turn out beautiful in their own way. I think each person has a completely different journey In their life. Comparing two different roads will never lead to a destination. And I think comparison is the one way that we start losing the ability to see our own success. We all only portray the good side of us to the outside world. So how is it fair that we compare our downsides to everyone else’s mask? Each individual has a different view of success and failure. So if everyone’s scale is different then everyone’s success also weighs different. To one person success is getting to Harvard, to another it’s being able to support their families. Not saying one is better over the other, as there is no fixed definition for success. Based on your life experiences, and based on your journey, your success and your destination will be different from someone else. My parents always say one thing to me, you are driving your own car. But you will never reach your destination from looking at another’s GPS. So which road do you want to take? Where do you want to go? Before you compare yourself to others, think about that each journey and each destination is different. Just enjoy the trip.
-Astha Soni
March 17th 2019
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