Have you ever heard the adage, “comparison is the thief of joy?” It is normatively stated to convey the message to not compare yourself to another because it will be a stumbling block to your life progress and produce lifelong suffering. You can never be someone else, you can only be you, so what’s the point of comparing. But can we truly live life without comparing ever and more specifically in our relationships. Or is there a place for comparison that can serve our relationships, such as when you compare to learn from the successes or failures of others.
Comparison without positioning in relationships equals envy & disorder.
The definition from “Oxford Languages” dictionary says that comparison is a consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people. There are many other definitions that focus more so on the similarities not the differences. For the context and concept of the adage comparison is the thief of joy, that definition best suits this topic of conversation. If you compare and after comparing wish to be someone else, want to live their life, then you completely disrespect & disregard the way God divinely created you to be. Along with not honoring what provision, blessings and positioning God has granted you to be in. Comparison without positioning in relationships equals envy & disorder. But if we compare with the intent to understand our purposed positioning within our relationships, then we increase harmony, growth, create, experience and leave a legacy of fulfillment with each other.
Only compare when you are doing it to double down on your positioning in your relationship and are going to compete to out serve each other, to elevate your relationship to its maximum level.
God is love. Love should have the strongest and most authoritative voice in your relationship. Love determines the positioning in our relationships. Then we get the honor of comparing to learn, function in our position with power and value to our utmost capacity the roles we play in each other’s lives. Only compare when you are doing it to double down on your positioning in your relationship and are going to compete to out serve each other, to elevate your relationship to its maximum level.