"Comparing myself to someone again."
Haru stared at her report card.
"Comparison is human instinct," Simon said.
"Instinct? Can't stop?"
"Evolutionarily, it was a survival strategy for social animals."
Haru looked up. "Survival?"
"Knowing your position in the group. It affected resource distribution and reproduction."
"But now it's not related to survival."
"Instincts don't disappear easily. Our brains are still from the Stone Age."
Haru sighed. "But comparing makes me suffer."
"Leon Festinger's 'social comparison theory.' People compare with others for self-evaluation."
"Measuring one's value through others?"
"When there's no absolute standard, we judge relatively."
Haru thought. "But my mood changes depending on who I compare with."
"Upward and downward comparison," Simon explained. "Comparing with those above or below."
"Comparing up depresses me."
"But it also motivates. Goals become clear."
"Comparing down?"
"Brings comfort. But growth stops."
Haru looked at the window. "Both have pros and cons."
"Choosing comparison targets is an unconscious strategy. You select what you need now."
"But on social media, I can't choose."
Simon nodded. "A modern problem. You only see others' highlights."
"Everyone seems happy."
"That's an illusion. Only selected moments get posted."
Haru pondered. "So if we can't stop comparing, what should we do?"
"Change the comparison target. Compare with your past self, not others."
"Self-comparison?"
"Measure growth. Is today's me better than yesterday's?"
Haru laughed. "But that's also comparison, isn't it?"
"Yes. Comparison itself isn't bad. Use it as a tool."
"A tool?"
"The problem is when comparison becomes the goal. Obsessing over winning and losing."
Haru asked, "If not winning and losing, then what?"
"Comparison for understanding. Why are we different? What differs?"
"Recognizing differences?"
"Yes. Differences are the source of diversity. Not something to deny."
Haru wrote in her notebook. "Learning from comparison."
"Nietzsche said, 'Love not your neighbor, but the most distant one.'"
"The distant one?"
"Your ideal. Your future self. Even if unreachable, it shows direction."
Haru thought. "Others are mirrors?"
"Good metaphor. They reflect you. But mirrors are distorted."
"Distorted?"
"No perfect mirror exists. The image changes depending on the angle."
Haru smiled. "Then use many mirrors."
"Multiple perspectives. That's maturity."
"Not stopping comparison, but using it well."
Simon nodded. "Buddhism has an ideal of 'a state without comparison.' But that's a destination."
"For now, live with comparison?"
"Yes. Consciously choose comparisons. Not automatic reactions, but intentional."
Haru closed her report card. "From today, I'll compare with yesterday's me."
"Good decision. But it's okay to compare with others sometimes."
"It is?"
"To broaden your perspective. But look at differences, not superiority."
Haru stood up. "Comparison is a tool. It depends on how you use it."
"Exactly. Tools have no good or evil. The user's intent determines it."
"Then I'll use it for growth."
Simon smiled. "That's a wise choice."
They left the library. Outside, people walking their own paths. In comparison, still, each one advances.
Haru murmured, "Comparison is unavoidable. So let's befriend it."
"Turning enemies into allies. You're a strategist," Simon laughed.
Through the mirror of comparison, people know themselves. And that too is one path.