Staying out of the comparison gutter is much, much harder than it sounds. Comparisons come and find you, even when you’re being strong and not seeking them. People, like your “nice” senior colleague, ask you such questions as, “How’s your book going? Did you know that our other junior colleague just published an article and a book this month?” Your neighbor or your aunt keeps saying, “My son finished his dissertation last year; aren’t you done yet?” These are the questions that drive academics crazy, and frankly, make them feel really anxious, depressed, or both. By Rebecca Schwartz-Bishir, Ph.D. It is a part of human nature to compare things. Comparisons are helpful: they allow us to take measurements, evaluate for truth, and create expectations. They can make us objective in our thinking, and that thinking can result in beauty and invention. When used to measure our achievements against those of others, however, comparisons can be unhelpful. They often tap into o
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