hey guys! Love your blog! So i have a problem, i compare myself to others too much. for example, i got a 99 on a test (i was really happy), then my friend tells me they got a 109 and i feel all sad. any tips?
Hey there honey,
I (Kat) completely understand the way you feel. I have been struggling with this problem for… basically as long as I’ve been a student. In fact, I admit that I am still have troubles dealing with this even now.
Ultimately, the best way to overcome this problem is to find satisfaction in your own efforts. While it will always be hard to realize that your efforts may not have gotten you to the very top of the class, remember and find peace in the fact that you have done your best.
Everyone has a different learning curve, and this means you probably won’t be the best at everything. And even if you have experienced nothing but 100% over your academic years, it is CRUCIAL to recognize that, in life, failure is inevitable (not that I’m calling anything below number 1 a failure!)
I believe that a lot of what goes into getting over aggressively comparing yourself to others is to realize that “someone else’s success is not your failure” (and vice versa “your successes are not the failure of other”) Your friend got a 109? Congratulate her! Be proud that your friend has done such an excellent job, but please please please don’t beat yourself up over the fact that you were just a few points off!
I completely understand how difficult this mentality is to deal with, and there isn’t a surefire way to cure this way of thinking (at least not that I know of). Again, I have also been facing this problem for a long time myself, and the best thing I can think of is to encourage you to recognize your own abilities.
If there is anything you would like to talk to us about, please feel free to send us a message. Sometimes these feelings are better resolved when you talk to someone else about it :)
