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While your 2nd grade teacher might have told you to never compare yourself to other kids in your class or to never compare apples to oranges, it’s not to say that comparing is wrong in general. In fact, it’s sometimes necessary or plain mildly interesting. Or both.

We never knew we needed to see these particular comparisons, but we’re better off now that we have contrasted X and Y, or A and B, or [insert one object] and [insert another object].

#1 This Egg From One Of Our Backyard Chickens That Looks Like Someone Gave It A Popcorn Ceiling Texture

Image credits: x70x

#2 The Different Reflections From My Glasses

Image credits: EnteEnteLos

#3 My Mom Found A Lemon From Our Tree That’s Shaped Like A Carrot. Normal Lemon For Comparison

Image credits: cl0utchaser

Oh, yes, we’re gonna dive deep into why we as a species compare ourselves to others. Or compare in general.

Well, you’ll likely be surprised to learn that comparison is a natural activity. Every animal with a functioning prefrontal cortex and a hippo on campus does this to determine the more important things in life, like what to eat and why is it pizza?

#4 What My Cat Looks Like Normally vs. What She Looks Like Wet (Smoke Tortie)

Image credits: SheNorth

#5 Not Possible To Get A Bigger Boost In Self Confidence

Image credits: WellnessAlbania

#6 First Day Back At School Took Its Toll On This Little Girl

Image credits: mayallrob_

And life is full of these small, yet significant (or not) choices, which can have both positive and negative consequences.

On the plus side, comparisons are great because of course these two dresses are the same, yet their pricing is different depending on the store. That in turn allows you to save money.

#7 One Year Ago vs. Now

Image credits: TomPerezzz

#8 How My Girlfriend Gets To Sleep vs. How I Get To Sleep With The New Foster Dog

Image credits: reddit.com

#9 My Spine Before And After Spinal Fusion

Image credits: MoustacheManLOL

And on the other hand, comparing things might just end up leaving you disappointed that your car or house or Pokemon collection isn’t as good as that of your friend or neighbor.

And it actually hits harder when we’re not comparing things, but rather ourselves to others. That’s called social comparison, and it can go both ways.

#10 Toy Chicks Cost More Than Real Chicks At This Store

Image credits: Masked246

#11 My Husband Has Brown Eyes, I Have Blue. These Are Our Four Children’s Eyes

Image credits: spidermom4

#12 Each Bottle Is The Same Whiskey Matured In The Cask For One Year More Than The Last

Image credits: Mystic_L

Festinger and his social comparison theory studied human comparisons, noting an upward and downward trajectory.

Upward social comparisons involve comparing yourself to those superior to you. At first, it was believed that it only led to negative self evaluations, but the further the study went, the more nuances it uncovered that actually proved that it could boost self-esteem and motivation.

#13 The Green Bean Size Difference Between The “No Salt Added” Can And A Regular Can

Image credits: butler7

#14 The Difference Between My Brother’s And My Tans

Image credits: YungTinkerbell

#15 All Of These Containers Have The Same Volume

Image credits: TurtleBarn

Downward social comparisons are when folks compare themselves to those they perceive as being lesser than them, leading to a sense of superiority that reinforces self worth.

Studies showed that such comparisons were often employed to reduce the sense of threat from others, but ended up worsening distress and inducing feelings of guilt over the perceived superiority.

#16 Polar Bear vs. Black Bear Comparison

Image credits: fur_the_north

#17 The Size Difference Between Brother And Sister Of The Same Litter

Look how big Malik is compared to his sister. I just don’t know if she’s really small or he’s really big, they’re only a couple of months old too. The size difference is crazy!

Image credits: WorkingFit9261

#18 The Difference In My Hands Before And After A 130-Pound Weight Loss

Image credits: Long_Procedure3135

Well, instead of comparing yourself to others, try these on for size:

First and foremost, identify your triggers and avoid them. If there’s a scenario, place or even an individual that makes you engage in comparisons (like feeling uncomfortable in large spaces due to their size), avoid and don’t engage with them.

#19 The Transitionary Period Of “Shrinkflation” Is Particularly Awkward When Getting Screwed Over Is So Obvious. Same Price Of Course

Image credits: SpeedyNips

#20 What My Neighbors See vs. What I See. At Least I Have That One Leaf To Look At

Image credits: reddit.com

#21 Vasculature In My Hand And Forearm (Left), Compared To My Friend’s Hand And Forearm (Right)

Image credits: callmeskips

It helps to avoid social media altogether as it’s considered a breeding ground for comparison. Everything there can easily become a measuring context, showing how better off someone is. However, everything has to be taken within context and that particular posts might be showing the positive side of things, without divulging how much had to be done for the post to be what it is.

#22 My Socks Turn Half Red Under One Of The Stage Lights

Image credits: GidgetGecko

#23 Me Looking Like 4 Different People On 4 Valid ID Cards Of Mine

Image credits: funnybalu1

#24 The Difference Between The Stitches In My Eyes From My First And Second Corneal Transplants

Image credits: MOTPeng44

Other tactics include avoiding comparing other people’s “outsides” with your “insides” or even daring to use comparison as a motivator. Focus on your strengths and how these comparisons can make you better as an individual. Use others you deem superior as an inspiration and be open to becoming more like that person so you could be a better person in general.

#25 My Ears Before And After Getting Them Reconstructed (Almost 3 Years Healed)

Image credits: kaseeeey

#26 Reference Photo vs. Colored Pencil Drawing. My Latest Artwork

Image credits: BlueBirdieD

#27 The Stark Contrast Between The Themes Is What Makes It All The More Hilarious

Image credits: BlackMajikMan90

Note that all of this doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate other people. The fact that we advocate ourselves as people doesn’t have to stop there—we can spread positivity by cheering friends and coworkers on for their milestones. And hey, you can be inspired by that too. Use that as a motivator.

#28 Incredible

Image credits: BamaBass

#29 My Girlfriend Always Laughs At How I Serve Her Food vs. How I Serve Myself

Image credits: lifesnotperfect

#30 Did Some Work For A Dentist’s Office Yesterday. Very Concerned He Had These In His Office. Full-Sized Pencil For Scale

Image credits: Ezra611

So, with all of that said, we’d love to hear from you. What are some mind-blowing comparisons that you’ve learned about recently—whether personal or … thing-able… Share your thoughts and stories in the comment section below!

And if this ain’t your cup of tea, then maybe this similar article will be?

#31 My Teeth, Before And After Braces

Image credits: ItsMehRuby

#32 I’m Holding Him Close To Myself To Show That He Is Indeed Huge

Image credits: YesterdaySeveral9723

#33 This Gear From A WWII Navy Battleship Gearbox Is Enormous. My Hand For Scale

Image credits: Bdipentima

#34 Before And After From Chemo. I Was Diagnosed In June

Image credits: PrincessDab

#35 The Health Class In Our High School Has A Moldy Bread Display On The Wall To Show How We Should Wash Our Hands And Phones

Image credits: ChartFrogs

#36 An Unfired 9-Millimeter Bullet Next To The One That Was Inside Me For 4 Years

Image credits: Jetman97

#37 The Print On My Daughter’s Crib Sheet Doesn’t Show On Her Monitor

Image credits: xAIRGUITARISTx

#38 NYC Skyline Before And After Canadian Wildfire Smoke (The After Photo Was Taken at 3 PM)

Image credits: jhc412

#39 My Daughter Isn’t Walking Yet, So Her Shoes Are Wearing Out Backwards

Image credits: erock1119

#40 A Female vs. Male Roommate’s Side Of A Shower

Image credits: DaysInGreen

#41 My Roommate Bought A Patch That Looks Exactly Like Her Cat

Image credits: daxdives

#42 My Brother’s Vacation Pic vs. Mine

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#43 My Company’s Holidays 2023 vs. 2024. This Is Crazy

Image credits: iH8conduit

#44 They Think We Don’t Notice

Image credits: WallStreetSilv

#45 I’ve Been Feeding This Cat Named Feral Gerald. Just Discovered He’s Two Different Cats

Image credits: PoetsSquareCats

#46 Can’t Tell The Difference

Image credits: ImportantAnimalImages

#47 Same “Blackout” Curtains Bought Two Years Apart. Old Panel On The Right, New Panel On The Left

Image credits: andiemay1224

#48 This Keyboard, Hands For Scale

Image credits: Fatenoir

#49 Does My Pet Snail Count As A Unit? Human Hands For Size Comparison

Image credits: bushb4by

#50 The Colors Of The Markers I Got Versus How They Actually Show Up (Minus One Broken Marker)

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#51 The Way My Father-In-Law Pulled Painter’s Tape (Left) vs. Me (Right)

Image credits: cindertt

#52 The Amount Of Blue Nerds In My Rainbow Nerds

Image credits: AcanthopterygiiFit51

#53 Before And After Of A Backyard I Cleaned Up Today

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#54 $14.50 (13,500 Pesos) Worth Of Groceries In Argentina vs. $71.00 Worth Of Groceries In Ukraine

Image credits: reddit.com

#55 These LEGO Bricks Are The Same Color… Except Under A Blacklight

Image credits: kottabaz

#56 The Shadow From The Sign Has A Different Spelling From The Actual Sign

Image credits: thehippestmanalive

#57 An Old Bicycle Lane Mark vs. A New One

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#58 Me Jumping Into Jacob’s Well In 2014 vs. Its Current State

Image credits: Movingjesus

#59 This 2-Inch Banana, Normal-Sized Banana For Scale

Image credits: Agmm-cr

#60 The Difference Between A Phone And A True Camera

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#61 All The Bubbly Branded Seltzer Water Exploded In The Freezing Temperatures, But None Of The La Croix Did

Image credits: QuackTheMan6696

#62 A Chunk Of My Red Hair From When I Was 16 Compared To My Faded With Time Hair Now That I’m 27

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#63 Difference Between An iPhone 3GS And iPhone 15 Pro Max

Image credits: Drewsilvaa

#64 It’s Like My Clothes Are Constantly Shrinking

Image credits: theJeremyVine

#65 My Local Hospital Has Examples Of When You May Need Urgent Care vs. An ER

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#66 What A 38-Year Difference Looks Like Between The Dodge 3500

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#67 Went To Dig Up A Weed At The Root And It Just Kept Going. Banana And An Average-Height Female For Scale

Image credits: 013millertime

#68 This Monster Facial Hair Compared To A Normal One

Image credits: Redredworm88

#69 My Fingers Get Very Swollen When I Exercise

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#70 Toddler Toilet At A Rest Stop In Virginia, USA. Banana For Scale

Image credits: believingisseeing

#71 My Friend’s Hand’s Color

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#72 This Really Large Leaf My Friend And I Found On A Walk. Hand For Scale

Image credits: optimusjiggs

#73 Burger King In The 1960s Compared To Today

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#74 Central Park In 1931 vs. 2020

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#75 Different ADHD Meds And Their Appearance

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#76 One Of The Eggs I Bought This Morning Is Randomly Purple

Image credits: GelatoWing_

#77 My Corn Came In Both Landscape And Portrait

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#78 The Size Difference Of My Jacket Between Countries

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#79 I Got A Black Coin With My Tips Today

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#80 Bank Gave Me Three Iterations Of The $100 Bill In A $1,100 Transaction

Image credits: WhitePackaging

#81 Strange Markings On Our Chicken’s Egg This Morning. The Usual Eggs For Comparison

Image credits: AngryChargingCables

#82 Elephant Garlic vs. Regular Garlic

Image credits: BoycottPapyrusFont

#83 What Kind Of Spider Is That? (Dog For Scale)

Image credits: nouseforaname12461

#84 Dog Groomers Gave Me The Wrong Dog

When I drop her off (have been going to the same place for 5 years), I don’t give specific cuts I let the groomer just make her look good. Today I went to pick her up and a new girl was working. She handed me the dog (same size, coloring just a different face haircut). I put her in my car wrapped the blanket around and noticed she wasn’t my dog. I’m sure it’s happened before at groomers. We found it pretty funny and fault on both sides. I’m sure it’s happened before at groomers.

Image credits: D0NW0N

#85 2 Different Labs From 2 Different Clubs. Which One Looks More Legitimate?

Left is Sherry, looks like the European type to me. Right is Gerda, looks like the American type. Both have pedigree documents from the clubs. They are both about 48-50 cm tall, 28 kg.

Image credits: Konstanna

#86 My Truck Has Never Looked Smaller

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#87 My Grown 2.5-Year-Old Cat Is Still Very Tiny

Here is my cat Bert next to a variety of items to showcase his tininess. He definitely looks bigger upon standing and can actually stretch himself quite long (and looks like a ferret doing it) but he is still the smallest full-grown cat I’ve ever met and was the runt of his litter by a long shot.