Why Comparison Kills Momentum and How to Stop Living for Others and Start Living for Your Future Self

Dhru Purohit Show

Dhru Purohit

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.7 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 1 December 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode is brought to you by Branch Basics and iRestore. We all have goals we want to achieve in life, but too often we abandon them the moment we slip into comparison. Today’s guest shows us how to break out of that trap and start making real progress toward the life we’ve always envisioned. Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, we’re revisiting one of our most talked-about moments with Dr. Hal Hershfield. Dr. Hal breaks down the dangers of falling into the comparison trap and how it can lead to self-sabotage and defeat. Together, Dhru and Dr. Hal explore why understanding the real journey of obstacles and challenges is essential for growth. Dr. Hal also shares practical strategies for clarifying your intentions and goals, and how to apply those insights to your health and wellness journey. Hal Hershfield is a professor of marketing, behavioral decision-making, and psychology at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. His research sits at the intersection of psychology and economics, focusing on how to improve long-term decision-making. He’s published in leading academic journals and has written op-eds for outlets such as The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and The Wall Street Journal. Hal holds a PhD in psychology from Stanford, has earned multiple teaching awards, and was named one of Poets & Quants’ “40 Most Outstanding B-School Profs Under 40.” His book, Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today, is out now. In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Hal dive into: The hidden dangers of comparison and how it quietly derails your life (1:55) Why celebrating group wins unlocks what you think is impossible (5:30) Tailwinds, headwinds, and the surprising truth about real progress (10:45) How to shift from “good intentions” to unshakeable commitment (15:07) A simple method for getting radically clear on your goals (20:17) The powerful letter-to-your-future-self exercise that exposes your real obstacles (24:06) Final insights that tie everything together (31:13) Also mentioned: Full episode with Hal Hershfield Try This: Write a Letter to Your Future Self This episode is brought to you by Branch Basics and iRestore. Right now, Branch Basics is offering 15% off the Premium Starter Kit; just go to branchbasics.com and use the coupon code DHRU. Transform your space, transform your health, start with Branch Basics today. Hair loss is frustrating. Give yourself the gift of hair confidence. For a limited time, my listeners get an exclusive discount on the iRestore Elite using the link irestore.com with code DHRU. Sign up for Dhru’s Try This Newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, Drew Prode here. When you look around, do you ever feel like everyone else has life
0:05.6	figured out except for you? Or have you ever noticed how scrolling through social media can make
0:11.0	your own progress feel slow, small, or somehow not enough? You know, if we're being honest,
0:16.3	I think we can all relate. I definitely can relate. Which is why for today's featured moment,
0:20.5	these featured
0:20.9	moments are past segments from previous podcasts that we want to highlight because you might have missed
0:26.3	it and they have profound insights, which is why we're highlighting them. So from this featured moment,
0:30.5	I want to share a powerful segment from a longer conversation I had with Dr. Hal Herschfield.
0:34.6	In this conversation, Hal and I explore why comparison often kills
0:38.8	momentum and how it disconnects us from our future selves. We also get into Dr. Hal Herschfield's
0:44.5	research on future self-connection. And the surprising way his comparison can either strengthen
0:50.3	or weaken that relationship. Now, a quick little note about Howell. Hal is a marketing,
0:55.8	behavioral decision making, and psychology professor. That's a mouthful, but it's an exciting
1:00.6	mouthful at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. His research sits at the intersection of
1:05.4	psychology and economics, and he examines how we can improve long-term decisions. Hal has been published in top academic journals, and he's written op-eds in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, and yada, yada, yada, all the big names. He was named the 40 most outstanding business school professors under 40 in the world. Huge achievement, by the way. And he's also the author of a book that is really,
1:28.2	really great. I liked it. This is why I read the book and I invited him on the podcast initially.
1:33.0	It's called Your Future Self, How to Make Tomorrow Better Today. All right, let's jump in to this
1:38.0	conversation with Dr. Howe about how the comparison trap can hijack our brain and ruin our life. But here's how we can
1:46.0	stop measuring our life against other people with Howell's advice?
1:54.6	How dangerous is comparison and constant exposure of comparison
2:01.4	of other people's journeys, which I feel is like so around us
2:05.9	on social media, any insights that you have,
	...

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