Why do you compare yourself to other people? Husband asked me. This was at least three years ago, we were just engaged and working through some issues. I don’t remember the specifics, but I must have been comparing myself to someone. He was the first person who asked me that question, and thus began the last few years worth of thinking about comparison.
A name without meaning is just a name, but a meaning explains something, it gives us the reason why something is good, dangerous, beautiful, ugly or any number of things.
I looked up some definitions online of the word comparison, and here’s what I found:
an examination of two or more objects with the view of discovering the resemblances or differences
a figure by which one person or thing is compared to another, or the two are considered with regard to some property or quality, which is common to them both
For me, a lifestyle of comparison meant I framed my life with other people’s lives – my life only made sense based on how it was better, worse or equal to the lives of the people around me and invisible people through magazines, television and the Internet. I could not just stand alone in my own skin, my own desires, dreams, skills, interests and passions – all of these things had to be matched, judged and compared to someone else’s.
So here’s my truth about comparison for today:
Giving in to a lifestyle of comparison leads to judgment, judging ourselves and judging others.
What has comparison looked like in your life?
I’m writing daily in October as part of The Nester’s 31 Days challenge, check out my first post here and head over to the Nesting Place for other great 31 Days topics.
2 thoughts on “day 2: definitions”