Can we live without drawing comparisons?

Question

We constantly see our lives in comparison with the lives of other people around us, and this we do in most subtle and commonly undetectable ways, often without any realisation. If you want to read my views about this before giving yours then check the following link:
http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-_f0Tu4kic6e_K8FnfZnOPxde?bid=349&yy=2007&mm=3

Answer 1

I haven't read your blog yet, but literate questions deserve literate answers, so here is my off-the-cuff comment.

How can you walk a mile if you have no road to tread?

We need standards - benchmarks - guides so that we can relate to the world outside our own heads. Only by comparing our decisions and actions with others' and even our own previous decisions or actions can we fit into the society we live in. We need to know 'where we stand' in any given situation, otherwise we don't feel we have a persona, a position, or any sort of relationship with the world.

Answer 2

When we are born we learn that certain things are good and some are bad and a child grows he/ she will see peoples reactions to whats considered good or not good, and begins to belief that indeed they are. There should be a level of comparison which should set people in their offices but not mean that 'one is better than the other'. For real we are in a world full of competition i.e everybody wants to be tall, handsome, beautiful, successful thru any means and even when we have these things its amazing that we still want more. Comparing one another is not bad cuz it is the work of nature but the fruit of life is to pursue your wants but to be 'CONTEMPT' with what you have. I believe people should not treat one another based on comparison. When u live in a country where unsuccessful people are treated less important and less significant to successful people, there becomes an urge to want to suceed which put everyone under pressure to pursue vanity so as to be seen as 'whatever', that possibly leads to comparing ones-self to people they arent familiar with, money or whatever is idolated is now respected over humans....'The more money u have the more respected u are'....

Answer 3

What you say is very interesting though very you. Since every opinion, every view is different whether you look in one's philosophical perspective or at the molecular neurological perspective.

You have the option to look at the mirror and to see it in a deeper meaning or simply as a physical law. You have the option to look at the world as complex or simple as you want, and an option to compare it with the mirror image you saw in the morning...it is up to you to compare that image of yours or your life to that of others; Remember though, there is no comparison of you, yet only the materialistic life of you, and it doesn't define you at core, but you define your own world(your materialistic worl)
That is at the philosophical level, and afterall whatver we think happens at the neurological level. Some people live without comparison, some have to work hard at it, some have the gift(if you will) to look beyond color, ethnicity, cutlure, money etc. and look at the heart of people. Part of it depends on our raising, our parents, our culture, our background, since we as children(except the few prodigies with different neurological activities) first view the world through our parent's or our guardian's eyes, and then slowly into adulthood we develope our own perspective of the world.

Giving yourself sometime, living in isolation, deep thought (finding yourself so to speak) will help you better find out what is it exactly you want out of YOUR life, and YOURSELF. Some are self-content living a rich life, a happy life with family, others are happy living poor or helping the poor, some prefer a materialistic life some despise it. The choice is up to you.

So...can we live without drawing comparisons?...certainly we can...its a matter of choice...not obviousness, not facts, not laws...you have the choice, and you decide it everyday...as soon as you decide you can do it, you will do it.

Answer 4

No we cannot..

It is human nature/instinct to find associations between things, objects/situations/people/etc.... it is a immediate mechanism which allows us to see a brand new item/situation and have a guide as to how to react to it..(i.e. a stereotype)
In a similar way we find comparisons of ourselves with the others around us... we see how they live and, if we feel they are thriving, we think that we could behave in the same way and thrive too. A way of learning of social function and acceptance.

A more simple argument could also be that human nature leads us to be naturally competetive... after all it is how we find mates and have children... we must compete with our fellow men/women for the best 'mates'.. Everyone wants to feel that they are that little bit more superior to their neighbour thus giving them the edge in social popularity...and be able to have the best mate and best friends who can assist them in survival...

pretty clinical view of it i'm afraid but am looking at the most primitive level.,

Answer 5

Yes . Actually living without drawing comparisons is the real happy life .

Answer 6

I'm sure life without comparisons is possible, for a brain dead human being, but not, I think for anyone we normally call a person (beyond the first period after birth). Not only do we compare, but without others discovering and experiencing the self is impossible, in a higher consciousness sense.

Answer 7

We live in a dual world . That means there will always be comparisons.

Answer 8

yes if we choose to live alone in some isolated island and be a monk for the rest of our live... its possible

Answer 9

Yes, if you have sufficient self discipline and control of your mind :))

Answer 10

On one hand we can.....on the other hand we can't!