Social comparison can be useful because it provides us with a way to determine if we are ‘on track’… but there is also a risk that it can be extremely harmful and result in negative thoughts and behaviors.
Instead of the desired effect where we can assess our abilities and opinions against a realistic, achievable benchmark (or role model), social comparisons can result in the opposite outcome, where we compare our behavior to an unrealistic benchmark and subsequently develop low self-esteem.
In this article, we will explore social comparison theory and how our social comparisons can lead to positive and negative emotions.
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