The tendency to compare is a great trap in the spiritual life, especially today, when much in our culture tempts us to think that if only we were someone else—better looking, better educated, better moneyed—we would be happier. All we need to do is to be other than who we are. Why is this such a dangerous temptation? For many reasons. First, because it leads to despair. Trapped by our false ways of perceiving other people’s lives, we denigrate our own lives, and thus devalue ourselves.
