The Weight of Every Burden.

       I had this friend awhile ago, a friend that is no longer friends with me. She lived a very hard family life, a lot of it she could have changed but she didn't because she didn't want to put forth any effort. I would sit and empathize her every time we hung out because she would complain all the time. Which, I understand, and in all honesty a didn't mind her complaints; I liked listening and giving advice.
       What was hard was that when I was struggling or going through a difficult day, she would play the 'whose-life-is-worse' game. I hated it. Whenever I tried to talk about what I was going through, she was there to tell me about how her life is so much worse and that I was really complaining about nothing. Maybe my problems were irrational sometimes, but that didn't mean that I wasn't hurting. Soon, I just stopped talking about myself and my problems, which I guess was also the wrong thing to do, because she got angry about that too.
       But that's not the point, the point is that everyone has a hard life. 
       A lot of the time, we as humans try to compete with each other, like having a hard life puts you above other people. It's as if our burdens put a badge on us that says, "My Life Is Worse Than Yours, So Now I'm Stronger Than You". Perhaps part of it is thinking people will care for you more. I'm honestly not sure what the reason for playing this game is.
        I do know that it really frustrates me though.
       This is one of the biggest flaws in society, the fact that we compare people's problems. We believe that the rich have everything made, that homeless people suffer more. I don't think so, I think they suffer in different ways. Celebrities definitely have a lot of emotional problems, whereas the homeless shiver in the cold and their stomachs hurt physically. Who are we to say that physical suffering is above emotional and mental suffering? Who are we to say that these people suffer more than these people because of this, this and this? You don't know what they're really feeling, you don't live with them, you really have no idea because you are not them. So STOP.
       When we will we finally put down our charts of endless comparison? That's all we do in life, compare. This person is prettier than me, that person is skinnier than me, they have better parents than me, this family has more money than mine, why is he so much smarter than me, she should stop complaining because I have it so much worse. Blah blah blah blah.
       I will admit, I'm guilty as charged, I've compared people's problems with mine. But guess what? It never makes me any happier. I never get any kind of satisfaction out of it. I just do it. And I hate it.
       Stop judging. Stop comparing. When you think of others, you will always be happier than if you're merely thinking of yourself. Because you can never truly understand a person's mind unless you are them. Just STOP IT.