Poem: "Half-Circle Thoughts"

Knowing that I am better off than others

how can I be thankful for what I have?

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is that not being happier

at the expense of others?

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How am I supposed to relish in the absence

of my own suffering, knowing fairly well

someone lives in agony?

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And please, tell me

how am I to compare myself to those below me

as a means to make myself feel better?

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Does that sound right to you?

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And yet, on the other hand

to compare myself to those beyond me

just creates a self-directed disdain

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So, what then?

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inspired by reading a research article regarding self-comparison. When done incorrectly, comparison of yourself to someone above you can be turned into envy, and the comparison of yourself to someone below you can be turned into scorn.

Article: "Envy Up, Scorn Down: How Comparison Divides Us" by Susan T. Fiske.

The counters are to use empathy and externalization for scorn, and use envy and transform it into admiration for those above you.

more work available on Instagram @ephrain_