The influence of the competitive world gets into the psyche of individuals and makes them compare and contrast their lives with others. This is particularly true when it comes to the youth, especially young graduates, in the case of career opportunities and placement scenarios. Every individual is unique and so is their graph of progress. It is not right for individuals to picture themselves in the template of something that is not their own as it will do no good except cause stress.

As a human resource mentor, whenever I conduct programmes on career guidance for the youth, it is common to notice the youth resorting to comparison of all kinds. It sort of creeps into their mindset either knowingly or unknowingly, but what they do not realise is that they are unnecessarily bringing upon themselves an unwanted pressure that would affect their very own performance in the end. 

The microscopic eyes of the recruiters and executives who are handling HR processes can easily spot an unnatural response or behaviour when candidates pretend to act like someone else during the interview process. It is a common fact that the recruiters would expect the candidates to perform well to the best of their natural abilities and showcase their true potential, which would enable them to come to a reasonable assessment of their credentials.

Here are some pointers for you to know as to why you must not compare and contrast your life or achievements with other individuals:

• You have nothing to gain from unwanted comparisons; instead you will stand to lose your balance and mental peace of mind. 
• Comparisons will not be ethical when it is pitched against unequal considerations. There must always be a level-playing field and properly structured evaluation process of assessing, if there is any need.
• When you compare yourself with others, you automatically contrast your worst with the best of others and this results in a very pessimistic attitude.