While your 2nd grade teacher might have told you to never compare yourself to other kids in your class or to never compare apples to oranges, it’s not to say that comparing is wrong in general. In fact, it’s sometimes necessary or plain interesting. Or both.

We never knew we needed to see these particular comparisons, but we’re better off now that we have contrasted X and Y, or A and B, or [insert one object] and [insert another object].

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#1 One Year Ago vs. Now

#2 Before And After Saying “Good Boy”

#3 My Teeth, Before And After Braces

Oh, yes, we’re gonna dive deep into why we as a species compare ourselves to others. Or compare in general.

Well, you’ll likely be surprised to learn that comparison is a natural activity. Every animal with a functioning prefrontal cortex and a hippo on campus does this to determine the more important things in life, like what to eat and why pizza?

#4 The Difference Between A Phone And A True Camera

#5 Reference Photo vs. Colored Pencil Drawing. My Latest Artwork

#6 Not Possible To Get A Bigger Boost In Self Confidence

And life is full of these small, yet significant (or not) choices, which can have both positive and negative consequences.

On the plus side, comparisons are great because of course these two dresses are the same, yet their pricing is different depending on the store. That in turn allows you to save money.

#7 Incredible

#8 I’ve Been Feeding This Cat Named Feral Gerald. Just Discovered He’s Two Different Cats

#9 First Day Back At School Took Its Toll On This Little Girl

And on the other hand, comparing things might just end up leaving you disappointed that your car or house or Pokemon collection isn’t as good as that of your friend or neighbor.

And it actually hits harder when we’re not comparing things, but rather ourselves to others. That’s called social comparison, and it can go both ways.

#10 Before And After Of A Backyard I Cleaned Up Today

#11 The Difference In My Hands Before And After A 130-Pound Weight Loss

#12 Before And After From Chemo. I Was Diagnosed In June

Festinger and his social comparison theory studied human comparisons, noting an upward and downward trajectory.

Upward social comparisons involve comparing yourself to those superior to you. At first, it was believed that it only led to negative self evaluations, but the further the study went, the more nuances it uncovered that actually proved that it could boost self-esteem and motivation.

#13 The Size Difference Between Brother And Sister Of The Same Litter

Look how big Malik is compared to his sister. I just don’t know if she’s really small or he’s really big, they’re only a couple of months old too. The size difference is crazy!

#14 What My Cat Looks Like Normally vs. What She Looks Like Wet (Smoke Tortie)

#15 My Spine Before And After Spinal Fusion

Downward social comparisons are when folks compare themselves to those they perceive as being lesser than them, leading to a sense of superiority that reinforces self worth.

Studies showed that such comparisons were often employed to reduce the sense of threat from others, but ended up worsening distress and inducing feelings of guilt over the perceived superiority.

#16 My Husband Has Brown Eyes, I Have Blue. These Are Our Four Children’s Eyes

#17 I’m Holding Him Close To Myself To Show That He Is Indeed Huge

#18 The Different Reflections From My Glasses

Well, instead of comparing yourself to others, try these on for size:

First and foremost, identify your triggers and avoid them. If there’s a scenario, place or even an individual that makes you engage in comparisons (like feeling uncomfortable in large spaces due to their size), avoid and don’t engage with them.

#19 One Bench, Two Seasons. February vs. August 2023 In Åndalsnes, Norway

#20 Before And After

#21 My Local Hospital Has Examples Of When You May Need Urgent Care vs. An ER

It helps to avoid social media altogether as it’s considered a breeding ground for comparison. Everything there can easily become a measuring context, showing how better off someone is. However, everything has to be taken within context and that particular posts might be showing the positive side of things, without divulging how much had to be done for the post to be what it is.

#22 Each Bottle Is The Same Whiskey Matured In The Cask For One Year More Than The Last

#23 Can’t Tell The Difference

#24 My Mom Found A Lemon From Our Tree That’s Shaped Like A Carrot. Normal Lemon For Comparison

Other tactics include avoiding comparing other people’s “outsides” with your “insides” or even daring to use comparison as a motivator. Focus on your strengths and how these comparisons can make you better as an individual. Use others you deem superior as an inspiration and be open to becoming more like that person so you could be a better person in general.

#25 My Roommate Bought A Patch That Looks Exactly Like Her Cat

#26 The Difference Between My Brother’s And My Tans

#27 Me Looking Like 4 Different People On 4 Valid ID Cards Of Mine

Note that all of this doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate other people. The fact that we advocate ourselves as people doesn’t have to stop there—we can spread positivity by cheering friends and coworkers on for their milestones. And hey, you can be inspired by that too. Use that as a motivator.

#28 A Chunk Of My Red Hair From When I Was 16 Compared To My Faded With Time Hair Now That I’m 27

#29 My Grown 2.5-Year-Old Cat Is Still Very Tiny

Here is my cat Bert next to a variety of items to showcase his tininess. He definitely looks bigger upon standing and can actually stretch himself quite long (and looks like a ferret doing it) but he is still the smallest full-grown cat I’ve ever met and was the runt of his litter by a long shot.

#30 My Corn Came In Both Landscape And Portrait

So, with all of that said, we’d love to hear from you. What are some mind-blowing comparisons that you’ve learned about recently—whether personal or … thing-able… Share your thoughts and stories in the comment section below!

And if this ain’t your cup of tea, then maybe this similar article will be?

#31 Did Some Work For A Dentist’s Office Yesterday. Very Concerned He Had These In His Office. Full-Sized Pencil For Scale

#32 This 2-Inch Banana, Normal-Sized Banana For Scale

#33 The Health Class In Our High School Has A Moldy Bread Display On The Wall To Show How We Should Wash Our Hands And Phones

#34 These LEGO Bricks Are The Same Color… Except Under A Blacklight

#35 The Shadow From The Sign Has A Different Spelling From The Actual Sign

#36 The Difference Between The Stitches In My Eyes From My First And Second Corneal Transplants

#37 One Of The Eggs I Bought This Morning Is Randomly Purple

#38 My Brother’s Vacation Pic vs. Mine

#39 Bank Gave Me Three Iterations Of The $100 Bill In A $1,100 Transaction

#40 Central Park In 1931 vs. 2020

#41 This Keyboard, Hands For Scale

#42 All Of These Containers Have The Same Volume

#43 My Socks Turn Half Red Under One Of The Stage Lights

#44 The Green Bean Size Difference Between The “No Salt Added” Can And A Regular Can

#45 They Think We Don’t Notice

#46 The Transitionary Period Of “Shrinkflation” Is Particularly Awkward When Getting Screwed Over Is So Obvious. Same Price Of Course

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