I think I'm about to ask a truly stupid question.

There are actually stupid questions.

I'm Angela Duckworth.

I'm Stephen Dubner.

And you're listening to No Stupid Questions.

Today on the show, comparing yourself with others can be emotionally damaging.

So how can we stop doing it?

Isn't that interesting that when I clicked on my Amazon ranking, I immediately went to his Amazon ranking. Also, how can we stop

confusing correlation with causation? If he hadn't been blinded in his left eye, he never would

have become a scientist. Angela Duckworth.

Stephen Dover.

So I've not read deeply on the following topic.

I'm guessing you have.

But what I have read suggests that it is a bad idea to constantly compare yourself to other people.

So assuming that is bad, you know, tell me if I'm wrong, but assuming that is bad,

how can I stop? I think it is often bad to compare yourself to other people. And maybe I would go

so far as to say usually bad, but it's basic human instinct. And that means we should ask

ourselves first, why do we do that?

Because any time we instinctively do something, there's usually a function behind it.

Okay. Why do we do that? Seriously.

You know who doesn't do it? Children.

Children are very egocentric all the way up to the beginning of adolescence when they become the opposite.

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