Making order out of chaos

@Sophia1 thanks so much for contributing to the thread!
Please come by soon and I will definitely keep on here. Hope you are well on your journey

@Phoenix_Rising @CheerBear @Queenie @Snowie @frog @Sans911 @Former-Member @candycane @lola @Teej @Former-Member @utopia @Former-Member @Bimby2 @Mazarita @Former-Member @eth @Zoe7 @Faith-and-Hope @Former-Member @Determined @Former-Member @Shaz51 @Appleblossom @MDT @Former-Member @Former-Member @Bella1978 @Catcakes @Former-Member @Jojo2 @Smc @Former-Member @Ant7 @Sophia1 @Former-Member @Owlunar @Former-Member @Former-Member @SleepyPanda @Former-Member @NikNik @Former-Member @Adge @Former-Member @Bunniekins

Saturday Lesson anyone? lol

I want to talk about comparing oneself. It's probably the most unhelpful thing we do as humans. I think it's got potential to build us up BUT it all too often can bring us down. It reminds me of a quote from Scottish philosopher David Hume who once said:

"Now as we seldom judge of objects from their intrinsic value, but form our notions of them from a comparison with other objects

(ie by comparing objects we get an idea on what they are used for, how we use them)

; it follows, that according as we observe a greater or less share of happiness or misery in others, we must make an estimate of our own, and feel a consequent pain or pleasure.

(ie when we see pain or pleasure in others we start to see where we weigh up in comparison)

The misery of another gives us a more lively idea of our happiness, and his happiness of our misery. The former, therefore, produces delight; and the latter uneasiness."

(one man's pain is another man's pleasure in other words. Not directly however)

I love this quote.
I guess the risk we run as fallible creatures is that we will all too readily compare ourselves to people who we KNOW are in a better position. OR someone who is in a similar position but who is doing better (whatever that may be). It's SO unhelpful and it drags us down into envy.

Rather than compare ourselves to others, we ought to compare ourselves to who we once were. What has changed in our lives and minds since last time we took inventory on ourselves? What have we conquered, what still needs improvement? Where can we fix things?

I hope you have a good weekend forumites

I agree with you 100% @MDT.
We need not compare ourselves to others, but to ourselves. Who we are. Where we've come from. What we have overcome. What we'd like to achieve in the future. Then make baby step plans to get there.
I don't think I will ever be the same as I was prior to this MI. But I can see how far I've come from my darkest days. And then I can acknowledge that I have come a long way since then.
Is there room for improvement? Hell yes!. As human beings, we strive for improvement.
Baby steps and we'll get there.

Exactly @utopia
I always think that when we compare ourselves to who we were in the past, we might as well be comparing ourselves to a different person. I'd like to think that this is the best way to exercise our natural proclivity to compare. Alternatively, compare ourselves to people who've been through similar experiences. It's the ONLY way we can exercise natural tendencies in a way that's conducive to getting better.

Fantastic @Shaz51 😄

Indeed @Shaz51

True @MDT