Comparison is the Thief of Joy

It happens each time we turn on the tv, or scroll on our favorite social media app, and even when we visit with good friends. As human beings, we are all driven to try to gain an accurate self-assessment of who we are. If we’re not careful, this passive watching (and sometimes judging) of others can subconsciously begin to make us feel like what we have isn’t enough. Who we are and what we have achieved isn’t enough. Or on the flip side of this, we may begin to feel a sense of superiority over others. Whether our self-esteem is inflated or deflated, nothing good comes out of comparison. Our joy,  happiness, and contentment suffer. Our empathy for and connection to others suffer.

In this episode, we talk about Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954) and how we can fall into the trap of valuing our own personal and social worth by assessing how we compare to others. Whether it is an upward or downward comparison, if we allow comparison of others to dictate how we view our own lives it can steal our joy. Comparison is a Kryptonite that often makes us want more while we simultaneously see ourselves as less. Tune in to this episode to learn more about how to ditch comparison and stop allowing it to steal our joy.

“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms” ~Zen Shin

Reference:

Podcast episode  referenced in this episode (Fear of Failure)

iTunes/Apple

https://podcasts.apple.com/gw/podcast/fear-of-failure/id1569849100?i=1000527184290&l=fr

Podcast episode  referenced in this episode (Toxic Positivity)

https://podcasts.apple.com/gw/podcast/toxic-positivity-versus-mental-contrasting/id1569849100?i=1000577719994&l=fr

Podcast episode  referenced in this episode (Glamorizing the Grind)

https://podcasts.apple.com/gw/podcast/glamorizing-the-grind-why-overwork-and-burnout-are/id1569849100?i=1000530119596&l=fr

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