The Need to Compare

So there was a blood moon last night.

To someone, it looked like this.

In Dallas, it looked like this.

My sister even saw stars with hers.

Mine?  Mine looked like this:

Yep.  A fuzzy non-red light in the sky.

So, in my "misery loves company" mood (my eye is screaming.  Is it an ulcer?  Can I ignore it?) I posted this:

Turns out a lot of people had similar experiences-and we all laughed about it.

Why do we feel the need to compare?

Body weight, body types, health, diets and general fitness are hot topics of debate.

Let's not EVEN start with politics...!

We all choose our own path, and do what we believe is right for us.

I still vote, however.

But WHY, why the constant need to compare?

Some compare "to keep up with the Joneses" while others compare as a quality check for themselves.  Some compare to look for new ideas (me) and others compare out of envy or greed.  Yet still some compare to only find fault in themselves, and others to find fault with others.

My fitness quest began as a comparison-comparing one type of exercise to another, to find what was best suited to me.  As one with exercise issues, my comparisons were (and are) snarky at best.  As I prepare to re-enter the world of fitness, I must ask:  is it wise to compare?  Is it making me cynical, or is it scientific research?

Love.  THIS.

As I research time travel, major life tripping points and regrets from the standpoint as a historian, and not a psychologist, I am made more and more aware of the comparisons we make every day, and how they impact our lives.  We are bombarded with comparisons that make us question what we believe and why we believe, leaving some confused, some adamant and others wanting.  Is it our nature to compare, or has society made us into this?

Granted, not all comparisons are bad.  

Green or yellow?

But some comparisons are evil:

I hate even reposting this, it so makes my skin crawl.

How can one identify the when a comparison is good or bad in their life?  Especially when it comes to long held beliefs or perspectives?

That is the question.

Fitness Quest:  getting more real all the time.