"Looking at social media and getting depressed again."
Hiyori called out to Sora. In the library, Sora was staring at her phone.
"Everyone seems so fulfilled," Sora sighed.
Mira approached and wrote in her notebook. "Social media is only a part."
Leo agreed. "No one posts failures or suffering. They only show success."
"I know that," Sora said. "But I still compare."
Hiyori gently asked, "Who are you comparing yourself to?"
"Classmates, friends, strangers... everyone."
Leo explained, "That's social comparison theory. People have an instinct to compare with others for self-evaluation."
"It's an instinct?" Sora asked.
"Yes," Leo nodded. "Proposed by a psychologist named Festinger. When objective standards don't exist, people evaluate themselves through comparison with others."
Mira showed a note. "Upward comparison vs downward comparison."
Sora read, "Upward comparison?"
Hiyori explained, "Comparing yourself with people superior to you. It can be motivating, or it can generate feelings of inferiority."
"In my case, it only generates inferiority," Sora smiled wryly.
Leo asked, "Then why do you keep comparing?"
Sora thought. "...I don't know. But I can't stop."
"That's because comparison has become a habit," Hiyori answered. "Especially in modern society, information overload increases comparison opportunities."
Mira wrote, "Comparison is painful."
"Exactly," Sora agreed.
Leo proposed, "What if you change the type of comparison?"
"What do you mean?"
"Instead of comparing with others, compare with your past self," Leo explained. "How have you grown compared to yourself a year ago?"
Sora thought a bit. "True... I can do more things than a year ago."
Hiyori smiled. "That's an important perspective."
"But I feel like I'm falling behind compared to others," Sora said.
"Everyone has different paces," Hiyori said gently. "Like a marathon, you should run at your own rhythm."
Mira showed her notebook. "Others' goals aren't your goals."
Sora had a realization. "I see... I was trying to run toward others' goals."
Leo added, "In psychology, this is called a reference group. Happiness changes depending on the group you reference."
"What does that mean?"
"For example, if you're in the nation's top school, everyone around you is a genius and you might feel inferior. But in a different environment, you'd be evaluated as excellent."
Sora understood. "So self-evaluation changes depending on who you compare with."
"Exactly," Leo nodded.
Hiyori asked, "What do you truly value, Sora?"
"Huh?"
"Not others' evaluations, but what you yourself think is valuable."
Sora pondered. "...Understanding people. Knowing the movements of the heart."
Mira smiled. Then wrote, "You're already doing that."
"That's right," Hiyori acknowledged. "Sora always observes her surroundings and tries to understand."
Sora looked a bit happy. "But that's not special."
"It's not about whether it's special compared to someone, but whether it's important to you, Sora," Hiyori said.
Leo added, "Comparison is useful as information. But it shouldn't be the basis for self-worth."
Sora wrote in her notebook. "Comparison = information. Worth ≠ comparison."
Mira showed a new note. "You are you. That's enough."
Sora stared at it. Then slowly nodded.
Hiyori suggested, "Why not reduce time looking at social media and keep a growth journal?"
"Growth journal?"
"Every day, record what you accomplished, even small things. See your own progress, not comparison with others."
Sora thought. "I'll try it."
Leo smiled. "There's no perfect person. Everyone has parts they show and parts they hide."
"I understand," Sora took a deep breath. "I'll walk my own path at my own pace."
Mira nodded. The four sat quietly. You might not be able to stop comparing with others. But you can create a self that isn't dominated by that comparison. Today, they learned that.