Sawang sinawang (Indonesian: seeing / seeing each other) is a Javanese expression about the behavior of comparing personal life with others. This proverb contains a teaching not to compare one's life with others, because what is seen is not necessarily as beautiful or easy as it looks.
This adage also invites people not to be jealous of the success of others, to always be grateful and accept. Another opinion reveals that sawang sinawang is an opportunity to reflect on, empathize with or assume that he is in the position of the person being compared. Sawang sinawang can also be used as a vehicle for learning.
Sawang sinawang, in psychology, is considered to be equivalent or related to the concept of perception as we know people only from what they see or hear about that person, then guess and conclude that person from there.
In the digital era, social media is said to be a place for sawang sinawang, where people compare themselves with other people, even though what is seen on a cellphone screen is not necessarily as beautiful and real as it is in the real world.
