Comparisons

I always found it interesting that we all use other people to compare ourselves to constantly. These comparisons are either to make us feel better or worse about ourselves: "It doesn't matter that I skipped the gym today, so&so hasn't been in a week", "Why can't I look like her?". Why do we do this to ourselves? These people we are comparing to have nothing to do with who we are or the choices we make, so why even make the comparison?
In my opinion, the only important comparison you can make is to yourself; past and present you. Only you can learn from the mistakes that you have made. I am constantly looking back on my teenage life with such regret, but it also makes me hold my head a bit higher for where I am today, and the person I came out of those mixed up years being. But again, there is the perfect slot for comparison - "my party days weren't so bad when you think of how bad so&so's were..." Sure, this thought is comforting for a good 30 seconds, but again, it has nothing to do with me, the decisions I made or the lessons I learned from them.
Comparison comes from a place of insecurity in most cases - there is always going to be someone out there who is making a worse decision, or who is better off than you. If we feel guilty about something we have done, or poorly about something about ourselves, these other people are always going to be there to make us feel better or worse. Perhaps we need these people to keep our sanity.

Food for thought.