Comparative Thinking

When comparative thinking is one’s mind set, it doesn’t allow for the appreciation of the life one is given because one is always seeing someone else’s grass as being greener than theirs.

We are our own worse enemies when it comes to being kind to ourselves. Most of us develop comparative thinking when looking at ourselves and we mostly fall short of the comparison. Most people reading this are likely aware that I’ve written a book, now if I compare my book to a number one best seller and think it has to achieve the same status for it to be deemed successful, my comparative thinking will not allow me to enjoy the process of what’s actually occurring. Comparative thinking has so many short comings because regardless of what one compares themselves to, the moment that’s occurring is the way that it actually is.

One can always look at a glass as being half empty or half full, but the reality of this is there’s only liquid in the glass and the comparison of being half empty or half full doesn’t really change this fact. This is what comparative thinking blocks out, the ability to see what’s actually occurring. Let’s say you’re 5′ 3″ tall, some may say you’re short and you may say you’re short and you may wish you were taller, but you’re only short compared to someone who is taller and in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. So many people want things compared to how someone else has it, but this takes away from the true essence the life you’re given. Not wanting anything different is huge if one is to experience life to the fullest.

There are so many examples of how comparative thinking blocks our own innate goodness from arising, and if the mind isn’t somewhat settled, it will continue its rule to make one think their given life has to be different; it only has to be different if it’s compared to someone else’s. It can’t actually be different than what it is and even if it was different, it would still be what it is. The point is to be with life as it is for you and not compare it to anyone else’s because if we all threw our life into a pile and could choose a different one, most would pick their own life back, because the grass is never truly greener compared to someone else’s.