The importance of comparing

Do you compare your work to others?

There are many reasons why you shouldn’t.

Here are a few why you should:

There is no ‘expensive’, only ‘less expensive than’. Contrast creates value, and price is meaningless in isolation.

There is no ‘good value’, only ‘better value than’. We have to measure value against something in order to quantify it, even if it’s against its former self.

There is no ‘fast’, only ‘faster than’. If we remember there can be fast dogs and slow cars, we remember the importance of context to create meaning.

There is no ‘successful’, only ‘more successful than’. Otherwise Gates isn’t very successful when compared to Bezos, nor Bezos compared to anyone who is happily married. The variables in question make absolutes relative.

Comparing gets a bad name.

It’s not all bad: consider comparing your work to unearth more context and value, so you (and those you serve) can more fully appreciate what you have.