Basing your entire personality around the two-dimensional world of social media can never forge anything good. Comparison is what drives us in academic, financial, or personal settings. Of course, it’s motivational to some extent, but its destructive tendencies are much more powerful. Take a look at the current scenario for an instant; we’re all in the race to stay one step ahead. Most of us base our self-worth around whether or not we have an IG model-like body or a great Ferrari like our favorite content creator. When social media isn’t the culprit, the success of someone else around you who’s doing better gets the best of you. The comparison trap influences people into comparing their “worst” features with the “best” features of the people they look up to. Looking back on these habits might make you laugh at your own follies, but at that moment you’re unintentionally busy in the journey towards despair.
The Brain’s Negativity Bias
Why on earth can’t we focus on the positives more often? That’s the thing! We can land on an answer to this question on the basis of evolution. Humans have inherited this characteristic from their ancestors. There’s a well and good reason why the people before us were the way they are; for the sake of survival. Once they began to see the worse in any situation, they had better chances of surviving natural disasters, accidents, or attacks. Thus, thanks to evolution, we’ve evolved into creatures that tend to give more importance to negative impulses over positive ones. Positive impulses also take longer to process no wonder why we react to negative experiences so rapidly. This entire neuropsychological phenomenon is referred to as the brain’s negativity bias.
The Impact Of Never-ending Comparison On A Person’s Self Worth
Constantly keeping an eye on the perfectly curated image of others can sooner or later start impacting your psyche. It isn’t just social media’s fault that we’re prone to projecting our self-esteem issues just so easily. The societal standards around us coerce us into believing that one has to gain perfection by all means. Whether it’s perfection in your romantic life, physical beauty, or social status. Low self-esteem stemming from over-comparison can lead to the following tribulations;
- Finding any physical disabilities or deformities as shameful or embarrassing.
- Lack of self-confidence based around social status and the amount of wealth or assets you own
- Development of eating disorders to fit the “right” and conventional body type
- Inability to stay in a stable relationship by setting unrealistic expectations for your partner because of your tainted views on relationships.
- Contracting an unmanageable amount of stress or other mental anomalies because of your inability to land on socially constructed pedestals
- Being critical of one’s own living conditions
- Feelings of disappointment towards one’s own friends circle just because they’re not as great as the ones you see online
- Rage stemming from your inability to take multiple trips or vacations like your favorite IG influencer
The bottom line is, achieving self-fulfillment is the basis of human life. Until we break free from the socially constructed shackles of “perfection” one can never be liberated from insecurities and self-distrust.