Compare and Despair

Thoughts on quotes from "Finding God in All Things," an episode on "On Being."

"Compare and despair." Isn't that pithy and wise? (I just looked up the definition of "pithy" -- I wasn't sure if "pithy and wise" would be redundant. I think it's okay.)

I often remind myself, and sometimes others, that it is not helpful to compare yourself to anyone else. If you compare yourself to someone who you think is better than you in some way, all it does is feed the negative self-talk you already struggle to repress. If you compare yourself to someone who you think is lesser than you in some way, you're just giving in to pride. When I do it, it feels like I'm sinning -- God sees inside us, and none of us is better than the other; who am I to think I am?

But of course, I compare all the time. I like the saying, though, and I'm going to try to remember it and use it. Compare and despair. What do you think?

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