Why You Can't Stop Comparing Yourself

Dina Asher-Smith, Alex Albon, Nick Cox, Richard Osman and Phil Heath help Jake and Damian take on the struggle we hear about from you more than almost any other: comparing your real life to everyone else's highlight reel.

Even the people at the very top aren't immune. Dina explains why she deliberately avoids watching what her rivals do in training. Alex Albon opens up on how measuring himself against Max Verstappen at Red Bull pushed him to force it, and how that unravelled his confidence. Nick Cox, former head of the Manchester United academy, explains why comparison "cripples parents", and Richard Osman reminds us we judge other people's highlights against our own blooper reel. Marcus Wareing and Jameela Jamil also feature.

Jake admits that professionally he compares himself everywhere he looks, and argues that envy can be a useful energy source. Damian isn't so sure, and shares the school-fair penalty shootout that turned him into prime Peter Schmeichel. Along the way they get into why silver medallists tend to be less happy than bronze medallists, why we underestimate how much other people are struggling, and why it's what's on your screen, not how long you look at it, that does the damage.

They finish with practical ways to curate your feed, your inner circle and your environment, because knowing you shouldn't compare yourself doesn't make it any easier to stop.

If comparison is something you wrestle with, tell us what helps you. Your comment might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

Clips featured (full episodes linked below):

• Dina Asher-Smith https://pod.fo/e/2338d
• Nick Cox https://pod.fo/e/138399
• Richard Osman https://pod.fo/e/26ea40
• Marcus Wareing https://pod.fo/e/132116
• Alex Albon https://pod.fo/e/205b4f
• Jameela Jamil https://pod.fo/e/225b9e
• Phil Heath https://pod.fo/e/2313e6

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