'Comparison is the thief of joy'

Ah, yes! The somewhat infamous adage of old is always one to come up no matter the season of life that you are in. Recently I have been coming across this ...shall we say 'difficulty' over the last few months. Financially, spiritually, physically it seems very difficult to not compare myself to others. Instead of ignoring the fact that I have this 'difficulty' I have to decided to confront it with all of the inner blog thoughts I can muster for the duration my toddler is happily playing by himself. Thank you for taking the time to read my random thought process!

First off- I find myself almost looking for comparison. This sounds counterproductive, but I think I do it in the guise that I am looking for something relatable, something that I can connect with to know that I am not alone. This happen mostly when consuming the evil dopamine rush of social media, but also just in common interaction with others. I feel the need to connect, the desire to be seen and known, but in trying to find connection I find so much disconnection. Everyone else is so different from me and my beliefs. They may be in totally different stages of life or what they are interested in is not my cup of tea. Why is this desire for connection so strong that it can lead me down a path of disconnection and comparison without me even knowing?

Secondly- I think everyone has a natural instinct to compare yourself to others. I think of this as a most basic animal principle. Like 'survival of the fittest' or even more darkly 'nature tends to entropy'. We need to know how we measure up, where we fit in with our pack, and determine what our value to society is. It's almost a way of finding your own value or worth by seeing how you are valued by others. In a time in society that values independence and individuality, is it wrong to think that more value should be placed in being dependent and vital part of your 'pack'?

Thirdly- I am entirely surprised I have made it this far with no interruptions from my toddler. Can I please have an hooray?! In seriousness and in hopes of concluding this post, I think not all comparison is bad. There is a distinction to be made between good and bad comparison, but that I will leave that for another day. What do you think? Is all comparison bad? Do you think this is a common struggle in today's world?