Constantly Comparing Myself To Others

Why do I feel like I have to constantly compare myself to others? Is there no escape from this?

I know how that feels.It is very difficult to do anything with that state of mind.But let me tell you,you are not alone.Many people face it and have hardtime figuring the way to come out of it.Try to change your thought process.The following approach may help you .One day God gets bored and creates a game called Life.He chooses you as his player and sends you down to the earth to play the game for him.Realize how great and lucky you are!! How unique you are! He creates a space for you in this world and gives you mentors(parents) and supporters(friends).So,whatever situation you are in(good/bad),it is just a game level created by him for you to conquer and learn something from it and move on to next level.So,comparing yourself to other people doesn’t make any sense because they are no real people in your game.Everybody around is just a player(like in the game vice city).You are the only hero of your game who is capable and extremely talented to handle everything in your life.The only real people in your world are those with whom you actually share an emotional bond.Now,you should be inspired from them as they are your supporters.Overall,there is nobody in your life to compare yourself and feel belittled.Now,nobody knows if this theory is correct.Just believe it.Trust me!This thought process can make wonders to get your life back and stop all those negative emotions in your life.Believe in yourself.Always be happy :)

Why do I constantly compare myself to others? What causes this and how can one stop?

Oh boy, I totally know where you’re coming from! I used to CONSTANTLY compare myself to those around me, and only in the last year have I been learning how destructive that was. It made me insecure, afraid to be myself, and unfaithful to the person I was created to be!I realized that the root of it all was that I was not aware of who I truly was, so I didn’t know who I should be as a person, so I tried to be like everyone else which obviously led to lots of comparison! Do you feel like you’ve ever come to a really good understanding of who you are as a person? Do you feel like there are people who know you inside and out and love you for just who you are, or do you tend to put on a show for people and hide things inside? One thing I’ve learned is that people are way more drawn to authenticity, honesty, and vulnerability than conformity and fitting in with the crowd. Have you ever tried just being shamelessly yourself in group settings, rather than trying to act like others? I feel like once I started doing that and feeling comfortable in my own skin, my comparison trap started to break down. So much easier said than done though…remember above all that you are created (by a loving God, I believe) to be exactly as you are, and that no amount of comparison or conformity will make him love you less!

How do I avoid comparing myself to others, because there are times when we fail miserably in life and tend to compare ourselves with our peers?

I’ve lived most of my life comparing myself to others. At first, it was school and sports. But as I got older, I began comparing other metrics: job title, income level, house size, and worldly successes.I have discovered there is an infinite number of categories upon which we can compare ourselves and an almost infinite number of people to compare ourselves to. Once we begin down that road, we never find an end.The tendency to compare ourselves to others is as human as any other emotion. Certainly I’m not alone in my experience. But it is a decision that only steals joy from our lives. And it is a habit with numerous shortcomings:Comparisons are always unfair.We typically compare the worst we know of ourselves to the best we presume about others.Comparisons, by definition, require metrics. But only a fool believes every good thing can be counted (or measured).Comparisons rob us of precious time. We each get 86,400 seconds each day. And using even one to compare yourself or your accomplishments to another is one second too many.You are too unique to compare fairly. Your gifts and talents and successes and contributions and value are entirely unique to you and your purpose in this world. They can never be properly compared to anyone else.You have nothing to gain, but much to lose. For example: your pride, your dignity, your drive, and your passion.There is no end to the possible number of comparisons. The habit can never be overcome by attaining success. There will also be something—or someone—else to focus on.Comparison puts focus on the wrong person. You can control one life—yours. But when we constantly compare ourselves to others, we waste precious energy focusing on other peoples’ lives rather than our own.Comparisons often result in resentment. Resentment towards others and towards ourselves.Comparisons deprive us of joy.They add no value, meaning, or fulfillment to our lives. They only distract from it.

How do I stop comparing myself to others and having anxiety?

The first thing you need to do is pinpoint the source of your anxiety. In the age of digital technology, the rise and spread of information has drastically changed how we perceive ourselves and others. With this comes a personal need to be able to manage our digital technology. If the source is coming from those around you, you must manage your own dilemma and choose the best course of action to get your mind out of this state of anxiety.For me, anxiety was stemming from Facebook and Instagram. Every day there were notifications on my phone of likes and comments giving me gratification of the things I posted and how others perceived my life. I was constantly viewing the achievements of those around me and feeling as though I was lagging behind my friends. Realistically, this type of scenario never existed for the past generation…So I shut off my notifications, stopped posting on social media, unfollowed (instead of unfriended) specific individuals on Facebook that were giving me anxiety, and began investing my time into activities that furthered myself and helped push me closer towards my goals. Once this happened, I began to be able to gain my focus back and took a conscious effort to organize, educate, and improve myself towards becoming the person I wanted to become. I became Vice President of a Collegiate Entrepreneurial Organization. I filed a patent on an item after slaving over saving money just to have the chance to gain the patent. I started my own online company with personally-branded products. I got 2 Bachelors, one in Organizational Management while the other one was in Biology as well as a Masters in Business Biotechnology. I also began investing in stocks and saving money to be able to travel. I learned to use cash back rewards on my credit score and have it up to near perfect. I had never read books before and now I read them all the time. Think about the time you give up worrying when that time could be better spent on greater things.Whatever is causing you anxiety, find the source and shut it off!

How do I stop comparing myself with others and feeling bad?

I was an average student in school. Neither too good nor too bad. In a class of 30 students, I consistently ranked somewhere at around 10 or 12. Let's say 10.It means that there were 9 students ahead of me and 20 students behind me. Or, I can say that I was ahead of those 20 students.There were students who scored better marks than me and there were students who scored poor marks or even flunked.I also remember few of my classmates who were earlier seniors, but had to repeat a grade because they failed to clear the final exams.I consider myself fortunate enough that I didn't have to repeat a grade.I passed, though not with flying colors, but I did.I was an average student but I learnt my english lessons well.We were taught the three degrees of comparisons in school i.e. positive, comparitive and superlative.Now, consider this world to be a classroom of more than 7 billion people. Where do you expect to stand? On the top? At the bottom?Neither. We are all somewhere in between (comparitive). There will always be people better than you and there will be people worse than you.If you think you are poor, look at the malnutritioned child standing at the traffic signal wearing ragged clothes. Does his eyes assure you that he won't sleep hungry today?If you think you are unfortunate, life hasn't been fair to you, look at a person with an amputated hand or leg, walking with the same confidence as you, or, ask a child, who is working at a tea stall, his father's or mother's name. I bet you won't be surprised by the silence that follows.If you think you are heartbroken, I can assure you there is someone still laughing his hearts out right before your eyes, and the same person stays awake all night looking at the wedding pictures of his girlfriend with an alien man standing at a place which was promised to be his.You will always have a superior or an inferior situation to look upon from the place you are standing. If you look at superior, you may feel bad. Try the other way round.Start appreciating what you have. And always remember, you can always change your situation. An avergae student can always become a topper, its only a matter of time and efforts.