We all compare ourselves to other people—our friends, coworkers, strangers on the internet—and most of the time, it makes us feel like shit. But why do we keep doing it? In this episode of Solved, we dig into the uncomfortable truth behind social comparison, how it quietly ruins our self-worth, and why most of what we envy in others is a projection of our own insecurity.

We also get into the brutal paradox of success, the toxic loop of chasing status, and how the constant measurement of our lives against others is one of the dumbest things we do as a species. If you’ve ever felt not good enough, or like you’re falling behind, this one’s for you.

We also put together a free companion guide for this episode with all the takeaways, references, and tools to help you get your sh*t together once and for all. Download it here: https://solvedpodcast.com/socialcomparison

Ready to stop listening to podcasts and actually start taking action? Join Momentum, a community of like-minded people who are taking small steps every day to make big changes in their lives: https://findmomentum.com/socialcomparison

Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

5:29 Chapter 1: Evolutionary Roots

16:20 The Emotional Toolkit

20:18 Chapter 2: Philosophy and Social Comparison

23:31 The Buddhist Path

24:58 Aristotle

34:34 Stoicism

36:24 Existentialism

40:06 Myths

48:37 Chapter 3: The Psychology of Social Comparison

58:54 Downward Comparison

1:22:19 Chapter 4: Digital Technology and Social Comparison

1:44:20 Chapter 5: The 80/20 of Managing Comparison

1:57:40 Hidden Costs

1:58:48 Takeaways

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