Competition is something we are all aware of in our society. It is taught to us and bred into us from an early age. In fact you are pretty much setup to think that to get ahead you need to be competitive. Be better than anyone else and you will win. What you'll win isn't really mentioned just the idea of competing with others.
This of course makes sense in sports. You need to compete to win and to win is competing. That's fine. But how about in life? In work? Are you competing with others? I suppose you are in a general sense. You interview for a job and get it. Supposedly there are others wanting the job so you did compete and win in that situation.
But what about in other parts of your life? Are you competing with your friends, your neighbors the guy you just walked by? I don't think so but you might and by this I think you might because you compare.
I think constantly comparing yourself to others is a hidden form of competition that you learned throughout your life. I addition to learning to compete at sports or in school or in other places you also learned through marketing and advertising. Think about all the ads and TV shows that show others in more favorable situations. I say more favorable because the message is typically just that. Look at this person who has something you don't and is so happy because they do. The message is clear in that others have things, good things, expensive things that become things you want. You compare yourself to these other people and that is when you end up feeling bad.
This comparing and then failing is a cycle I think can be broken if you learn to not compete by comparing. Why should I feel bad if so and so has a nice car or house. Why should I compare the way I dress to someone who walked by. Think about this for a moment. What if you didn't compare. What if you either appricated what you had and didn't compare yourself to anyone else. What would you think about instead. How would you feel?