It is easy to feel as if everything is a competition. Whether it’s grades, sports, or even things that people post online, students are constantly comparing themselves to others. Sometimes, healthy competition can be motivating. But for the most part, it just adds pressure and makes students feel like they are never doing enough.

The biggest problem with comparison is that it diminishes achievements that people should be proud of. Instead of thinking about how you’re improving, you start thinking about how you measure up. Even if you are doing well, it can still feel like you are behind just because someone else is doing slightly better.

Sophomore Noam Nehorai, who does boxing, sees this all the time. 

“In boxing, if you’re always comparing yourself to someone else, you stop paying attention to your own progress,” Nehorai  said. “Everyone improves at different speeds. It is the same with school. If I’m focused on someone else’s grades, I’m not focused on actually getting better.”

That same feeling shows up in other activities too. Sophomore Arsham Salekani, who trains in jiu-jitsu, explained how comparison can ruin something that’s supposed to be personal. 

“Jiu jitsu is about improving over time, not being better than everyone else right away,” he said. “When you compare too much, it just makes everything more stressful. School can feel like that, too.”

Comparison also interferes with confidence, especially in school. 

“I’ll study a lot and feel good about a test, but then I hear someone else got a higher score and it kind of ruins it,” Salekani said. 

Even when students are doing well, comparing themselves to others can make their own achievements feel smaller. Over time, that mindset makes it harder to feel proud of your own work. Everyone is on a different path, with different strengths and goals. When students stop focusing on what others are doing and start focusing on themselves, school and life become less stressful and more meaningful.