Comparing yourself to others is something many people do every day, especially through social media and school. While it can sometimes motivate people to improve, it often leads to insecurity and stress, so constantly measuring yourself against others can make it difficult to appreciate your own growth. 

WHY DO PEOPLE COMPARE THEMSELVES TO OTHERS? 

People compare themselves to others for various reasons. Sophomore Alexi Gomzalez said, “We compare ourselves to others to understand our abilities and progress.” Junior Alejandro Velasquez said, “I compare myself to others to see my progress compared to them.” Sophomore Dylan Salgado said, “I compare myself to others because whenever I see someone else doing better, I can’t help but be jealous.”  

PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES WITH BEING COMPARED 

Everyone has different experiences that lead to the habit of comparing yourself.  Junior Jacob Taboada said, “I began to compare myself to others when I started sports and saw there were genuine levels to this and I was behind.” Freshman Julian Mendez said, “At first, I thought everything was normal, but then I started falling behind in my goals and my mentality became horrible.” One anonymous junior said, “I was basically born this way. Every time I see someone ahead in life I can’t help but feel left behind every time.”  

For some people, the comparisons start at home.  Junior Emily Perez said, “My stress levels rise when my mom compares me to someone else because it’s annoying how she says all that just to get me to change.” Senior Luca Martin said, “My mom compares me to others all the time and it has brought my confidence down, so since then it has just been a habit.” 

THE REASON COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS IS HARMFUL 

There are multiple reasons why being compared can be harmful to someone mentally and physically. The article titled “Why You Should Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else” posted on Psychologytoday.com explains, “Comparing ourselves, belittling our worth, or minimizing our strengths can validate our core irrational beliefs that ultimately, we are not good enough.” 

World History teacher Mr. Agustin said comparing yourself to others could be harmful because it causes negative and false thinking because, after all, everyone is their own person and has a different story.  

This school holds a good number of people who compare or get compared to others. This causes an overall negative mindset that could be super unhealthy for someone. Sophomore Aaliyah Gomez said, “I compare myself to others all the time, and because of it I think I’m always behind, which causes stress.” Senior Julian Monero said, “When I compare myself to others, I feel uneasy and I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”  Sophomore Dylan Salgado said, “I compare myself to others because whenever I see someone else doing better, I can’t help but be jealous.”  

Freshman Julian Mendez said, “At first, I thought everything was normal, but then I started falling behind in my goals and my mentality became horrible.”