On Comparing Apples to Oranges

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“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Theodore Roosevelt

Long ago, I ran across these words by Roosevelt. They somewhat landed me believing in this very idea that if I start comparing myself with others in life, I would be like lending a hand in my ingenuity’s destruction and letting myself rob of all the joy and peace in my life. Today, I am glad I let myself believing in that.

Comparisons are a common occurrence in life, and unfortunately, our society dwells on that, without even realizing how lethal the side effects could be. I strongly believe that if I am raising my child, I am not raising him alone, but the generations that will succeed him. Things change when,

“YOU” compare yourself to others.
“OTHERS” compare you to others.

The former has precedence over the later because if you will not believe in your individuality, the later will pave its way as smoothly as a gliding feather. So, to stop that one from surfacing, it’s needed you not slowly poison yourself by assessing your value as more or less with any person at all. (Deeming yourself more than anyone is yet another disease to talk about – never compare yourself to those you “think” are worse than you just to feel better about yourself). The only comparison considered healthy is the one that inspires you to make a change in your life for the better. Other than that, most unfiltered comparisons are damaging to one’s positive mental health and yield nothing but make you feel worse about yourself.

Let’s get into the later one. Life makes you cross paths with many people that will always compare or assess you. You need not worry about that. If you will focus on the strengths that your Creator has sent you down with, rather than being victimized, you will thank yourself later.

Sadly, comparison always starts at home, and sticks out like a sore thumb. The most ruthless of episodes are aired right from your comfort zone let alone the outside stigma. What next? Deep-set emotional contusions, hard to cure, resulting in antipathy, aggression, antagonism, and everything detrimental. That’s why I stated we as parents are responsible for raising generations. There is no wisdom in comparing your child’s milestones, achievements, struggles, personalities, children, spouses to each other. Act wisely and don’t foster a chaos that would be a death knell to sibling harmony.

People should realize that life is not about competing with others to get to the finish line or be the best. The fact that we human beings are all the best creation of Him, makes every comparison invalid. Do you think comparisons are motivating? Like seriously? It’s not going to bolster any performance. There are many other ways to bring out some ones’ latent potential and capabilities. Comparison? You still think is a driving force? No, but inspiration is. And there exists a big difference between comparison and inspiration, and again if one is not willingly taking the inspiration, none enjoys the position to enforce it either.

Comparison to me is an unasked scornful review of someone’s personality. Even if you try to get in the garb of someone you are compared to, you will always be a duplicate, “a copy”, and you know a duplicate can never replace the original prototype. Just like comparing apples to oranges doesn’t make any of them less delicious or deprive them of their right of being called a “fruit”, I render any comparison among humans entirely insensible too. It’s how nature decides nature. It’s like insulting the very nature, you getting me, right? We should understand that no one is perfect but still is unique in their way and that you as a person are more than enough. Our imperfections make us special, no one else is you, and that my friend is your “POWER”.

Every human speaks of Our Creator’s perfectionism. Someone’s beauty never talks about the absence of other’s. This is simply an act of violence against yourself and humanity. Don’t fall for the trap you need to free yourself of. Don’t be an acquaintance to this treacherous adherent. Know that one can be anything but one can’t be everything. Everyone’s story is exclusive and unique and not worthy of any comparison. The only thing that you are better at than other people is, “BEING YOU”. This is the only game that you must win.

Just accept the idea that everyone is principally different and, therefore, not worth any comparison. Can the sun be ever compared to the moon? Both are unique in their luminosity. Likewise, there is nothing in “comparing apples to oranges“.

I will conclude this with Emerson’s words, and you hold on to them my friend,