Why do we do anything? Is it from an innate desire to succeed or is it to show off?

No matter what I undertake – my brain tends to compare myself to others. How is John doing on this project? Will he succeed and where I failed? Although I’m able to control these impulses better nowadays… it has been quite the journey. I used to see life as a zero-sum game. For one to succeed others must fail. 

game cartridges
Photo by Kevin Bidwell

As I grew and took a step back, I realized how nonsensical it was. As time progressed humanity grew. Yet, we arguably have never seen as many successful people. Paradoxically, mental health has been on the decline. As a result, I’ve decided to dive into facts and studies.

Is comparing yourself always bad? And most importantly how can we solve it?

As always sources and complimentary information available at the bottom of the article.

What does the research say?

30 studies or more have shown that constant comparison leads to both mental and physical ailments. Not only are we pushed into a toxic spiral but the impact varies in every case. There is no concrete evidence that looking up to someone or on the opposite saying that you are doing better than someone else helps you grow. 

The best way to recognize our biases and decision trees is by accepting our flaws. True introspection is shown to have decreased the negative spiral. Furthermore, instead of nurturing hate, understanding that we can learn from our perceived foes is key.

Simon Sinek clarifies that it isn’t only social media that is to blame. He indicates that we have a tendency to psychologically self-harm by creating rivals and only focusing on their strengths. Looking inward and focusing on our strengths opens us up to growth. By doing so he was able to learn from his former rival.

Additionally, consistently looking up to others leads to unrealistic expectations. Contrary to what gurus say it’s unlikely you will have a private jet or become a billionaire.

Studies have shown it is unsustainable to draw motivation from unrealistic goals. As you constantly fail to achieve them. On the other hand, Research shows a change in perspective can counteract it. 

As we understand that comparison is a vicious circle how does it impact our finances and investments?

The Financial Impact of Comparing yourself

Weirdly enough constantly comparing yourself can cost you thousands. October 2020 was when I finally pulled the trigger on Instagram. I said goodbye to the temptation of showing off in Stories or posts. The amount I have saved isn’t quantifiable but my saving rate has increased and my impulse buys have diminished.

black and white people bar men comparing themselves to eachother
Photo by Gratisography

Purchasing behavior

Since then I’ve focused more on the utilitarian side of purchases. When shopping for groceries or medicine, I go to the store-brand. The quality is on par and no one will know the difference.

Although, my friends have purchased beautiful german cars. I realized that in the long run it will cost them more than a beat down car. Additionally, we earn the same income why spend more upfront?

Recently, I wrote about how much we can truly afford. As impulse and status buy often end up costing tenfold in the long run. You can learn more in “How Much Can You Really Afford”.

person shopping online
Photo by cottonbro

Furthermore, peer-pressure is a strong component in your purchase decision tree. By including and seeking the opinion of others we influence ourselves. This plays into the hand of marketers and “fake gurus” leading you to believe outlandish claims or programs. Multi-Level Marketing bases most of its strategy on this.

Additionally, studies have shown that we gravitate to shopping sprees to boost our self-esteem. This is built on the idea that something new will make you feel better. On the contrary, a study shared on the “Oxford Academy” shows that when you have low self-esteem you will gravitate to lower quality products. Therefore not only does comparing ourselves to others lead to lower self-esteem and impulsive purchases but it’s a vicious circle.

A Study by HEC Paris found that:

“We found that the willingness to pay for status products did result in self-repair, but only for the people who saw the ad with no tagline.”

Although, there is a positive impact from status products as soon as we let ourselves be influenced by external forces… the positive impact is lost. 

Realizing that most of my “want” purchases were based not on my desires but societal pressure has lead me to save substantially more. Since coming to this realization in September has helped me skyrocket my savings rate by 4%. Learn how to stop living paycheck to paycheck here. 5 Ways to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck.

pen business eyewear research
Photo by Anna Nekrashevich

Wealth insecurities

Whether it’s on social media or in the news we are constantly bombarded by wealth signals. To such an extent that we don’t question how the money was made or if it’s truly affordable. The problem is we only see the positive online.

From your colleague’s brand new car to the gains your favorite influencer has made. You never get to see their Profit & Loss (P&L) statement. Without that, it’s impossible to know their true position.

black calculator beside coins and notebook
Photo by olia danilevich

If an influencer was truly making 6 figures a month by trading or with dropshipping. They wouldn’t need to sell you a $50 course. Don’t get me wrong not all courses are scams. But it’s impossible to make a 2% gain daily constantly that would be over 600% a year. 

Warren Buffet is often regarded as the greatest investor of all time. Over the past 30 years, he has returned on average 20%. Which makes it highly unlikely that someone selling their signals would help you achieve anywhere near this. 

Constantly comparing ourselves to unachievable targets leads to us chasing returns. Asking the question “why haven’t I bought into Tesla, Dogecoin, or GME?” Without understanding that by the time a stock has hit the news you probably missed the train. And it’s ok! My friend Steve, the Frugal Expat, goes in-depth in his article “How Chasing Returns is a loser’s game” a brilliant read that shows how flawed this idea is.

Stop comparing yourself start building 

man working with turning machine and wood
Photo by Anna Shvets

Overall taking a step back and focusing on growth gives you time to build. It’s the main reason I don’t share the exact value of my Net Worth. Instead, I want to focus on growth, diversification, and progress as percentages. 

Recognising we all have a different path and expectations was what allowed me to truly embark on this journey. Wealth and Life aren’t a competition as nobody will ever walk the same path. I invite you to discover my Financial Origin Story to discover more of my philosophy. 

This research has comforted me in the idea that; although I’m not alone in the journey – it’s mine to travel. My key takeaways were:

  1. Comparison leads to impulse buys
  2. Envy leads to unnecessary risks
  3. Jealousy leads to a lack of productivity

How do you deal with comparing yourselves to others?


Sources