At an early age we're taught to not compare ourselves to others. We're taught that it's not good to covet what your neighbor has in the bible, because it creates an unhealthy obsession, or craving of others belongings and negligence of our own fortunes.
Although it's good to set goals for ourselves, it's also good for us to recognize what we do have, and are thankful for in our lives already. I've always been inclined to be slightly more philosophical, but I really like the lessons that can be learned from humility, and appreciation of what we have while simultaneously never settling.
Sometimes the line can be a little blurred in regard to how we achieve that balance however. As humans we have an innate tendency to compare ourselves with each other. I believe this tendency creates a potentially nasty habit for us as people to say to ourselves "If they have that, why can't I?", and while this can be useful at times to push ourselves toward our goals; without discipline it can be a torment to our own well-being and peace of mind.
There were (and still are) times where I find myself guilty of this. Growing up in a household where it seemed like we weren't as financially well-off as some of my friends I often questioned why we didn't have certain things, and why it seemed so unfair for us to not have said things, whether it was the latest toy, a new sports car, or whatever object seemed ludicrously out of reach. There were times where I found myself legitimately frustrated at the fact that we weren't at a certain socio-economic status.
While I believe it's absolutely fantastic for people to have social mobility to make a better life for their future family, we put a heavy emphasis on doing so in America through a somewhat toxic way that breeds the worst out of our natural tendency to compare ourselves as humans. Growing up in a more conservative family I was taught that we earn what we work for. I believe this to be true today, but I also believe that it's important to be in the right place at the right time to succeed as well.
This article isn't meant to be a lecture on what we should do to reapportion wages or earning in the economy, I'm definitely not qualified to talk about that being a journalism/poli-sci student. Instead, I think it's important for us to understand no matter where we are in the world, that their things so intrinsically valuable to each and every individual that we should reassure ourselves when we find ourselves comparing worldly things with one another.
In our society, we put an emphasis on coveting others possessions, but I think that we only pursue an empty void in finding a meaningful life if we compare what we have versus what our neighbors have. If we're going to covet things naturally as humans, I think we should start to seek out things that are different than possessions. We have to begin by seeking out a drive within ourselves that you might see in someone else as character traits, behavior, or morals.
We have to seek qualities instead of quantities if we want to begin to seek a way to carve our own path and create meaning for ourselves. When I begin to analyze another person's behavior, words, and actions, I begin to humble myself at what I am thankful for in how I am as a person, and what I can do to improve in qualities I aspire to carry.
