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Filed under: MaRvELgAL Talks About FriendsTo the girl whom I had the pleasure of having dinner with earlier:
Quoted from Today’s newspaper:
COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHERS
Someone once said: "Comparison is the root of all inferiority". How true that is. When you look at another person’s strengths and compare them to your own weaknesses, there is just no way to come out feeling good about yourself.
I once spoke to a group of teenages at a conference and I’ll never forget a question posed by one young man. He asked: "It seems that everyone has more to offer than I do. I envy guys who are better-looking, more athletic, or smarter than I am. How can I deal with my own insecurities?"
The problem he was describing is a common one among young men and women. Even at a young age, our self-images are shaped by how we stack up against our peers. It’s not how tall we are that matters - it’s who is the tallest. It’s not how fast we can run - it’s who runs fastest.
Thus begins an adolescent pattern of self-doubt that can become all-consuming. The answer I gave that young man is one that many teenages need to hear: When you pit yourself against the best and brightest, you are merely setting yourself up for failure. Mental health begins with an acceptance of life as it is and a willingness to make the most of the unique strengths and talents you’ve been given.
By Dr James Dobson
