JOIN USComparisons, it is said, are odious. Nevertheless they are part and parcel of everyday living and can hardly be ignored. Progress in every endeavour is defined by comparative values. It includes grades in school and college, merit in the workplace and prowess in the playing field. Why then has this important activity earned for itself a bad name?
Most of us cannot help comparing ourselves with others. We feel it is important to remain a step ahead of all the others.
Our self-esteem remains intact so long as we feel at least as competent as the others are. There is also an undeniable satisfaction in proving superior to others.
All this leads to competition and rivalry. It comes as no surprise that when we fall behind, feelings of jealousy and envy overpower us and cause unhappy consequences. Even a cursory look at history and literature confirms this.
In the epic, Mahabharata, we see the Kauravas engaged in bitter rivalry with the Pandavas.
This was not due to any lack in power or possessions on either side. The Kauravas were plainly jealous of their cousins and wanted to see them humiliated and stripped of all power.
The Bible tells us that Joseph, the son of Jacob, was the favourite of his father. This stoked feelings of great envy among his brothers. They sold him to itinerant merchants and made their father believe that he had been devoured by wild beasts. Colonial powers in India, like the English and the French, fought several wars because each envied the territorial expansion made by the other. In day-to-day life, too, we indulge in competing with each other.
This leaves us with no qualms because we believe it is the highway to success. We see, in short, that comparisons can breed unhealthy feelings and lead to bitter strife.
Of course, comparisons can produce salutary effects as well. Great thinkers and noble deeds can inspire lesser minds into better ways of living. Saintly figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa serve as great models. By studying their lives and emulating them, we can make the world a better place.
It is when we enter the spiritual realm that we discover the true purpose and the place that comparisons have. We realise that every human being is unique and has a value and talents all his own. There is no need for anyone to compare himself or herself with others.
What is really important is to discover one’s own true potential, work on it and fulfil it to the best of one’s ability. Truly has it been said, ‘There is nothing noble in being superior to some other person. True nobility consists in being superior to your own previous self.’ If we can keep this ideal in mind, it will become abundantly clear that the only comparison worth making is the one we make with our own selves. Not only is it harmless and highly productive, it is far from being odious!