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How To Find Peace When Your Friends Have More Money, Nicer Toys, Better Sex And Greener Lawns
A guide to overcoming comparison envy
A few years ago I hired a lawn care service to give my yard a lush green look. I didn’t want to do this, but I felt obligated. All my neighbors had beautiful green lawns. I didn’t want our house to be that house.
When the salesman came to my house, he gave me a survey to fill out. It caught me by surprise. The first question on the survey indicated these people were first and foremost consumer psychology experts.
What kind of lawn do you want?
1. Good enough to avoid unwanted attention.
2. On par with my neighbors.
3. The most beautiful lawn on the block.
Whoever designed that question and answers, embraced a quirk of human nature that most of us like to ignore.
Comparison envy — Measuring status, success and happiness based on how we compare ourselves to our peers.
Choose your friends carefully
Nobody likes to feel upstaged or bested by a peer. It’s not about money and material possessions. It’s about status…
