Comparing Yourself

The internet has made it easy to compare yourself to others.  You could be the best basketball player on your cul-da-sac, or even in your local high school.  Previously you could aspire to be like a pro player on TV, but the comparison between you and them would be so distant.  Now it's easy to look up a highlight reel on YouTube of a fourteen-year-old in Florida who can dunk over the best players in the state.  All of a sudden you aren't that good after all.

In addition to this, the internet also makes it easy to selectively hide parts of yourself.  Strategically posting certain things can build a completely different online persona.  What if that amazing basketball player in real life is really mean, or uses illegal performance-enhancing substances?  There is no way for you to know, and you might automatically assume he just has heaps of natural talent.  Or what if you are missing some part of the picture?  Maybe he doesn't play any other sports, or his father was a basketball coach and has trained him every day since he was five, or the opponents in the highlight reel actually aren't that good.

It's easy to compare yourself to others and assume they are in the same situation as you.  If you spend too much time comparing yourself to others, it can demotivate you from doing something you are genuinely good at.  The best option is to forget about others and focus on improving yourself.