You’re comparing your insides to their outsides. You see their results without seeing their genetics, history, starting point, circumstances, or struggles. Festinger’s social-comparison theory holds that we measure ourselves against other people whenever no objective yardstick is available — and that we reach for those we take to be similar, which is what makes an unlike comparison so misleading. Different bodies respond differently — two people doing the same thing get different results because they’re not starting from the same place. The only meaningful comparison is you now versus you before.
This companion covers what you don’t see (genetics, history, compliance, timeline), the biological reality of variation, the comparison bias, and the meaningful comparison. (4 min read)
Written by AI, directed and approved by me. How this is made →