| Compete and Compare Myself
with Others
Question:
I am always comparing myself with others and compete in having more or
better than them. How can I get over this "comparing",
myself, my house, my children to others? I want to be truly happy with myself
and for those who have more, or are better than me. What to do?
Answer:
Comparing yourself to others and competing to achieve what they have is an
expression of fear. The underlying issue is not competitiveness, but
fear and shame. Low self-esteem and insecurity are masked in an effort to be
as good as the other. The underlying fear being that you are not lovable enough, good enough, smart enough or
worthy enough, etc. The 'false or ego self' is a product of
inadequacies within self. And it is this ego self or 'nafs' that
instigates competition.
In order to overcome these inadequacies one
gets into comparing and competing. So if I have the same kind of
house or car or clothes maybe I will feel as good/rich/smart
enough. The attempt to copy others continue to escalate
endlessly. However this generally never creates inner happiness,
satisfaction or peace.
Until you address the parts of yourself
that are fear/shame-based, you will continue to experience the insecurity that
expresses itself in your need to compete with others. Accepting your
strengths and weaknesses is important. Being objective and realistic
about yourself helps. Everyone is not the same.
Competition and comparison is different
from the drive to do good and be worthy. This desire to do good is
based on your own value system and does not incite one to compete with
others. Functioning from this level, you get your reinforcement from
your own conscience, your ethical and moral values. Satisfaction
level is also different. If I tell the truth only because others do
so, it will not give me the same satisfaction as when I do it because that
is a value I hold as important to me.
Regards
Uzma Mazhar
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