There will always be someone. There will always be someone who is prettier than you, smarter, thinner, or more successful than you. There will always be someone who is better at the thing you think you are best at. This constant comparison between humans is engraved into our brains at birth, because competition is the basis of the American society.

Since the first day teams are picked for kickball in kindergarten, the continuous rivalry towards all encompassing champion clouds children’s minds. And this does not stop there. Between sport team tryouts, musical auditions, and college applications, the comparison between the abilities of all people never ends.

Some may argue that without competition our economy would fail; that competition is backbone to what causes Americans to strive towards higher success. However, I disagree. I believe that the only person you need to compare yourself to is your past self. I believe that the only competition necessary is between you and the little voice in your head telling you that you can’t do it. By striving to become a better person than before, rather than striving to become better than others, America would not only benefit from success, but also more motivated and favorable people.

Although all people are created equal, they are in no way the same. It is because of this that comparison between humans is neither fair nor constructive. However, healthy self-analogy could be valuable for yourself and society as a whole. By eliminating all human competition and comparison, people’s mental health and lives would benefit as they stop trying to win a never-ending game created by societies constantly rising expectations.