“DO YOU think you are better than others?”
Perhaps, you had asked this to yourself a thousand times or you had been asked by people the same question.
Insecurity, for me, is part of human nature. I have insecurities, we all have. No matter how one tries to hide, envying someone is a reality.
Why can others go shopping without minding the bills? How come others can top exams while some struggle to even get passing grades? Why one gets promoted and others don't? Why friends can travel so ofen and you are stuck here working? Why others can effortlessly look good? The list goes on.
One may think, "I need to be better than him to get a promotion" or "I need to shine so I can stand out more than the other guy".
Comparisons like these are but usual. Dwelling on these whys, however, will just make one unhappy and discontented.
Comparing yourself to others makes you blind on the many blessings you are receiving every day. Learn to appreciate these blessings instead and thank God instead of feeding your mind with envy and greed.
The worst thing can happen, is putting someone down just to make you stand out.
Ariel Driz, in his Didache 2016 entry, said “I don’t need to put down people to lift myself up. All I need is to be the best I can be- to work at it with my heart and soul.”
Consider what Max Ehrmann said in his famous poem, Desiderata:
“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser than yourself.”
Answering the question I raised above then is a complete nonsense.
I can be better, best even, without looking down on others as I learned that the best meaning of success is to live as the best version of myself.
And maybe you are asking what standard I’m looking up to assess myself? It is Jesus’ standard: humility in excellence.