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Comparing things is something we naturally do. Whether it’s looking at how things are now versus how they used to be or comparing the world today to the past, it’s a common human tendency.

Today, we’ve got some interesting comparisons that might change how you see the world. We’re not just talking about now and then; there’s much more to it. We’ll compare lightsabers of different prices and show how fully grown cats can look very different from each other. Get ready and check them out! And if you like any of them, don’t forget to upvote!

#1 The Day After Asher Was Adopted In 2012 vs. Today

Image credits: EricaH121

People often compare themselves and others in areas like looks, money, intelligence, and success. Studies suggest that about 10 percent of our thoughts involve these kinds of comparisons. The social comparison theory, developed by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954, says that we judge our own worth based on how we stack up against others. However, constant comparisons can not only lead to motivation for improvement, but can also result in feelings of dissatisfaction, guilt, or even harmful behaviors like lying or unhealthy eating.

#2 Then And Now: Cancer Patient vs. Cancer Survivor

Image credits: Batson Children’s hospital

#3 Elliot’s Owner Shares What He Looked Like At 4 Weeks vs. Full Grown, With His Favorite Toy

Image credits: mac_is_crack

When people compare themselves to others to track their personal growth or get inspired to do better and build a more positive self-image, it can be a good thing. But it’s important to be careful not to fall into the trap of making negative comparisons. Who we compare ourselves to matters a lot: If we just want a self-esteem boost, we tend to compare ourselves to people who are worse off than us, but this can become unhealthy. When we aim to improve, we often compare ourselves to peers who are similar to us but excel in a specific area.

#4 B2 Stealth Bomber Compared To A Falcon

Image credits: icookcode

#5 Man Shares Picture Before And After A Liver Transplant

Image credits: Orri

#6 Summer Body vs. Winter Body

Image credits: Valley_View

Using our social connections to drive progress can be really effective. For example, in a study, friendly competition motivated people to exercise more because they encouraged each other to do better. This “social ratchet effect” meant that each person’s effort inspired others to step up. On the other hand, social networks where people simply offered positive support were not as helpful.

#7 Movie vs. Real Life

Image credits: cecibm007

#8 The Clear Blue In Front Of Me Compared To The Dark Abyss Behind Me

Image credits: julieonthejazzflute

#9 We Have Two Skinny Cats, And One Fat One

Image credits: reddit.com

People tend to make two types of comparisons: upward and downward. In upward comparisons, we measure ourselves against those we perceive as better in some way, while in downward comparisons, we do the opposite. As expected, research shows that downward comparisons tend to boost our self-esteem, but both approaches come with risks – upward comparisons can lead to feelings of insecurity and jealousy, while downward comparisons can foster overconfidence and arrogance.

#10 From Broken Legs To Long Legs

Image credits: Critical-Cupcake-912

#11 10 Year Old Me vs. 25 Year Old Me

Image credits: Theoson

#12 The Difference 11 Days Can Make For This Maple Tree

Image credits: LazuliBunting32

Theodore Roosevelt once referred to comparison as “the thief of joy,” and his observation might hold some truth. Social comparison can be a source of motivation for self-improvement, but it can also encourage judgmental, biased, overly competitive, or superior attitudes. Most people have the social skills and self-control to keep their standards for social comparison to themselves, refraining from acting on any envy or resentment triggered by making comparisons. However, their true feelings may surface in other ways.

#13 Visited The Same Model Village 25 Years Apart

Image credits: r7npx

#14 Ski Trail Sign In Summer vs. In Winter

Image credits: Neieric6

#15 First Portrait I Ever Did Back In 2011 vs. Most Recent Portrait From 2021, It’s Been A Long Journey

Image credits: Proka1234

Comparisons tend to make us feel bad when we only measure ourselves against people who excel in certain qualities. For instance, when we think our social lives are less active, we often compare ourselves to the most social people we know. Recognizing this bias can help us make more realistic and motivating comparisons.

#16 Barcelona During The Day vs. During The Night

Image credits: HDphoto

#17 Here Is A Comparison Of My Original Sketch Compared To The Finished Product! Happy With How Accurate I’ve Been Able To Get On These

Image credits: floatingcruton

#18 World’s Smallest Computer Compared To A Grain Of Rice

Image credits: elee0228

Spending too much time on social media, where we see images of exciting events, can lower self-esteem and contribute to feeling down. However, these risks seem to affect mainly people who are very anxious, while some studies suggest that social media can actually boost self-esteem, especially when we look back at our own happy moments with friends.

#19 Before And After Comparison Pics Of A Street In Surf City, NC After Florence

Image credits: GieTheBawTaeReilly

#20 Size Comparison Of My Maine Coon To My American Shorthair

Image credits: DefinitelyAverage

#21 My Mom’s Phone From 1998 vs. My Phone From 2018

Image credits: jakecc_

To be less affected by painful comparisons, pay attention to what triggers this behavior, practice deep gratitude for the good things in your life, and remember that wanting what others have is often a waste of time unless it’s something truly valuable, like their kindness or generosity.

#22 This Fake Hundred Dollar Bill My Coworker Accepted. (Real Bill For Comparison.)

Image credits: Kaylie_kitten

#23 Human Skeleton Compared To Gorilla Skeleton

Image credits: Sapientiam

#24 One Year Of Good Care And Love

Image credits: zoace88

In the end, it’s not about comparing ourselves to others; it’s about becoming the best versions of ourselves, cultivating self-acceptance, and finding contentment in the journey toward personal growth and fulfillment. Check out our previous editions on cool comparisons.

#25 Beautiful Christmas Tree Before And After

Image credits: M4Strings

#26 Before And After Images Of Giant Ancient Cedars Cut In The Caycuse Watershed In Ditidaht Territory On Southern Vancouver Island

Image credits: tjwatt

#27 Grandma Has Had Long Hair Since She Was My Age, We Took A Photo For Comparison

Image credits: bennettofthenorth

#28 Real Japan vs. Anime

#29 Microscopic Look At Bee Stinger vs. Needle

#30 My Client Asked To Make This Rug With Her Rats

Image credits: u/_bbrug_

#31 Nearly 25 Years After The Fall Of The Berlin Wall, The Difference In Types Of Light Bulbs Can Still Be Seen From Space

Image credits: TheOtherS1de

#32 My Wife’s Face On Our Wedding Day Compared To When She Met Rob

Image credits: TheNervousPoops

#33 LEGO Lukes Changing Over Time

Image credits: onceyellowluke

#34 Adding The Backstitches To My Cross-Stitch Embroidery

Image credits: lavenderfart

#35 How It Started vs. How Its Going

Image credits: bape_x_anime

#36 View From My House Of California Normal vs. California With Fires

Image credits: sklein9

#37 My Brother And His Friend, Both Age 13. We Loved The Difference In Height

Image credits: elleynads

#38 Shark’s Brain vs. Dolphin’s Brain

Image credits: PaviliaBay

#39 Same Place, Different Time. March vs. June

Image credits: onlyinnorway

#40 Coming Home vs. Leaving

Image credits: imgur.com

#41 Shoe That Is On The Longboard vs. The Shoe That Does All The Pushing

Image credits: FuriousFighter13

#42 My Husband Started 17th Grade (His Masters Program) On The Same Day My Daughter Started 5th Grade. They’re Both Ecstatic About Back To School

Image credits: Snipsthetips

#43 Grand Theft Auto vs. Fast And Furious 6

Image credits: lordvillain

#44 The Comparison Of Right Handed And Left Handed People At My High School

Image credits: haze_rod

#45 The Size Of My Bathroom Tiles Compared To My Scale

Image credits: bw-in-a-vw

#46 Stairs Built In 1829 vs. 2005

Image credits: Jack_Enoff

#47 Ken 1985 vs. Ken 2018

Image credits: sum1otherthanme

#48 The Wife And I Went To The Grand Canyon This Weekend. Top Was Saturday, Bottom Was Sunday

Image credits: thagoodlife

#49 ‘Chernobyl’ Actors vs. The Real-Life People They Played

Image credits: Bored panda

#50 Same Location, Two Different Times

Image credits: FutureSkeIeton

#51 Fluffy Corgi vs. Regular Coat

Image credits: Shippo & Koga Corgis

#52 Earth Compared To Its Water And Air

Image credits: ourplnt

#53 The Size Of A Tornado Compared To The Size Of Wind Turbines

Image credits: chakalakasp

#54 Whenever Somebody Posts A Photo Of The Milky Way, People Invariably Ask “Is That How You See It With The Naked Eye?”. Here’s A Representation Of What You Do See Compared To What Comes Out Of The Camera

This photo was taken at the Pinnacles Desert in Western Australia, the moon had just set below the horizon and the core of the Milky Way was rising towards the east and was at about 40 degrees. This obviously isn’t a perfect representation but it’s pretty close. You won’t see any color as our eyes can’t determine color very well in low light.

The photo you see on the left is directly out of the camera, no post processing has been done at all and you can see quite a bit of green towards the horizon and some orange and magenta hues in the core. My camera’s white balance was set to auto and this is a 30 second exposure. ISO was set at 3200 and aperture was f2.8.