"Sharma Ji Ka Beta": The Disposition To Compare
Jun 27, 2019 • 80 views
Akshay secured 96% in his exams. But then 'Sharma'ji ka beta' had a whole percent more than him. Akshay should have worked harder; at least that's what his parents told him. That is also what he was told for the rest of his life!
If competition is the high-performance engine that thrusts you to succeed, 'comparison' is the low-grade fuel it is fed with that eventually makes the engine succumb before reaching the finish line.
It can be agreed that in our entire life there is always going to be that one 'Sharma'ji ka beta' who is better than us. Even when you reach the peak of the mountain, you might see someone below with the strength to overthrow you.
They say "the grass is always greener on the other side". It is an apt proverb in this scenario.
Comparison In School:
While in school, children and their parents alike would be inquisitive about the topper's marks than their own. An ambitious mother sits on the school bench with two answer sheets- one of her own child and the other of 'Sharma Uncle's' son. Word to word comparison is done accompanied by incessant commendation for that ideal child!
Her kid knows that he is not 'Sharmaji's son'. His mother knows this too, but the desire for her child to be prosperous shrouds her motherly love and content towards the kid's performance.
Comparison In Adulthood:
As this kid stands upon his feet, expectations surge and the field of play widens. The young man may secure a job at Google, but his father: "My boy, heard of Pichai Uncle's son, Sundar? " He is sure to be left speechless.
The sleek sedan Mercedes owned by Sharma Uncle's son makes his mother cast an unimpressed gaze on his rugged Range Rover SUV; but she forgot his childhood fantasy for the roaring sports cars!
We are subject to comparison usually by people who love us the most. They certainly want us to prosper and collation with another person provides them with precise parameters that should define your next goal. These parameters include marks, rank, salary, recognition and so on. But statistical analysis is not a very benign action to be applied to humans daily, it works better with 'products'.
In our transient lives, we do not toil to score points against persons in a petty list of comparison. It is each one's customized definition of success that one strives to achieve. Comparison is but a slippery path to jealousy.
Nonetheless, it is an omnipresent habit and some might even call it a necessary evil, that needs to be kept in check, else it might lower the esteem of a person with huge potential.
As Einstein said, " Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
DISCLAIMER: The above article is a general view and no sentiments are intended to be offended. No Akshay or Sharma'jis were hurt during the creation.
To know how Sharma Ji used his contacts in favour of his son read this article:
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