Comparison Is the Thief of Joy.
It's not. I'll show you.
I'm in the grocery store holding a pair of pears. When I compare this pair of pears, and I choose one over the other, no joy has been stolen from me.
People say, “Comparison is the thief of joy” for many reasons. They may just not have thought about it, they're parroting the phrase because its in vogue, or they’re trying to project their profundity. But they're not saying anything profound; they're actually barking out a deluded phrase that contains the completely wrong term.
The Bible already nailed this thought over 2,000 years ago in The Ten Commandments.
“You shall not covet your neighbor's house” is the tenth commandment in the Bible, in Exodus 20:17.
You're referring to one of the seven deadly sins, envy, not comparison.
"This is just self-aggrandizing semantics!" No, it’s not. Words actually have meaning and use. Take for example, the word gratitude. Gratitude is comparison's well-dressed cousin. Gratitude is on the same sliding scale as “comparison.” In order to feel gratitude, you must compare.
People use comparison when reminding themselves, “There's starving children in Africa” or “Your legs work." or "You have a full breathe of air in your lungs.” Comparison has utility, it is a useful tool to create perspective. Envy is the thief of joy.
Comparison allows us to realize our fortunate positions, mistakes, and personal achievements.
It’s also used to make relatively mundane choices, such as choosing between a pair of pears.
I know that you know this distinction. So between us, here's another thing you should check out.
