8 Quotes to Help You Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

We all do it, play the comparison game. But it's unhealthy and here is some proof- Let's consider 8 powerful quotes that will provide you with motivation to stop comparing yourself to others.

I've talked about the issue of comparing ourselves to others before. If you've read my post about social media envy and how to avoid it, you'll understand my thoughts on how this comparison problem seems to have gotten worse over the last decade.

To stop yourself from comparing yourself to others, you've got to make a conscious decision to be wary of this unhealthy habit, and it always helps to surround yourself with reminders about why comparison is counterproductive.

I hope you'll find this article encouraging and that it makes you want to look after yourself and the way you view your life.

1. "No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

How do you feel about this quote? I like it because it shows that you are in control of your thoughts and that comparing yourself to others is a choice. You can either choose to be sucked into the trend of comparing yourself to other people who seem to be doing better than you, or you could decide to adopt a healthier viewpoint.

At the end of the day, your self-worth is dependent on your attitude and outlook, and that's a beautiful thing because it means that you maintain a confident, balanced view of yourself and your achievements.

2. "Too busy watering my own grass to check if yours is greener."

This is another great quote that I've heard a lot recently. Can you say the above about yourself? Would you say that you spend more time working on yourself and reaching your goals than peeking over your neighbours fence and checking what their grass looks like?

One way this quote can help you stop comparing yourself to others is because it directs the focus back to yourself and your actions. When you are so engrossed in doing what matters in your life, you don't have time to compare yourself to others and you thus allow little room for those negative feelings to breed.

3. "Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle."

What's the point of comparing when you're not even at the same stage. It would be like a toddler comparing itself to a teen.

One thought that will help you stop comparing yourself to others is the idea that we are all at different stages of our lives. We are all moving at different rates too. That means that even though someone may be doing the same job as you or working in the same field, you simply cannot compare your achievements with them.

Months and years make a difference. Even though it seems like you should be at the same level of accomplishment, you can never know the amount of times they've made mistakes and had to learn along the way. They might have a lot of experience that simply comes with time, so it would be unwise for you to compare yourself with them.

4. "Stay in your own lane."

A very simple phrase, yet it conveys the point very nicely. What happens when a driver gets distracted and veers out of his lane? An accident is very likely to occur. The same is quite true with day-to-day life. If you are constantly fixated on how others are living their life and comparing yourself to them, them you lose sight of what matters. And that can be very dangerous. However, when you are concentrating on the road ahead of you and where you need to go, then you are less likely to crash.

Every time you find yourself being overly concerned with what others are doing and how you compare, telling yourself to "stay in your own lane" can be very helpful. At the end of the day, each lane takes the driver to a different destination, so it only makes sense to focus on your destination and your journey than looking over at the next person.

5. "When you continually compete with others, you become bitter. But when you continually compete with yourself, you become better."

I like this quote because it really helps us to understand how pointless comparing ourselves to others is. What is the end result of comparison? Nothing, except for bitterness. Comparing yourself to another person can make you jealous and envious of them.

You may start developing hate and resentment in your heart, even wishing that they lose what they have while you gain it. It's a process that can lead to a lot of heartache.

The only person we should really be competing with is ourselves. When you are motivated to make yourself better, that is healthy, and you will see results. But comparing yourself with others gets you no-where and just leads to tension. That's why it needs to stop.

6. "You can't compete where you don't compare."

This is a great quote that reminds us that comparison is a mindset. If we don't compare ourselves to others, then we are not made to feel inferior to them. If you are looking at yourself vs. others and what they have that you don't, then you become in competition with them and that creates stress.

When we learn to live separately and be content "staying in our own lane", then we don't have room for comparison. Comparison may at first seem harmless, and it's something we tend to do a lot, mentally. But competition follows from comparison, and that can make you feel really inadequate.

7. "You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody."
- Maya Angelou

What has the above quote got to do with comparing yourself to others? Well, many times when we subconsciously compare ourselves to others, it is because we feel like we are not good enough. By playing the comparison game, we tend to give excuses for why someone else has something we don't have. We feel like we have to prove things to others.

We think that if we have not reached a step in our lives that another person has, then we are falling behind or not as good as them. However, things become a whole lot easier when you remind yourself that you don't need to be like anyone else and that you don't need to prove anything either.

At the end of the day, comparison is based on outward appearances, so seeing the external appearance of another person's life may cause you to think that you need to make your own achievements more visible and open to public eyes. But no. Just because everyone does not know what you are working on or fighting against, doesn't mean you're not doing a fantastic job. Keep going.

8. "We won't be distracted by comparison if we are captivated with purpose."
-Bob Goff

Last, but by no means least, here is another quote that can help you stop comparing yourself to others. This is one of my favourite "comparison" quotes, because it in effect, offers an alternative to comparison. If we are captivated with purpose, and focused on developing our lives, then will we not be distracted by what another person is or isn't doing.

Comparison is a distraction. It can take you totally off track from where you need to be. If you sincerely want to avoid comparison, then you need to ask yourself where your attention lies. Channel your focus somewhere more productive, and that will bring you more success and happiness than comparison ever could.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading this article about quotes to help you stop comparison. I hope you enjoyed reading it, because I certainly enjoyed writing it! Feel free to share with a friend.