Many years ago, I went for a dinner with a family. It was a nice meal with good food and good conversation.
As the meal progressed, I was struck by how functional it all seemed. There was a lot of humor and thoughtful conversation. And, while I may have been guilty of seeing what I wanted to see, it all seemed… perfect.
A few years later, I learnt that the parents had a rough divorce. Things had been going downhill for years and the humor and thoughtfulness were now permanently replaced with animosity and dysfunction. I was shocked to hear it.
There were many reflections from that experience. But the biggest of them all is that things are not always what they seem from afar.
It is easy to idealize the lives of others and compare the parts we see with the entirety of our life. But things are not always what they seem from afar – it is why comparisons are a fool’s errand.
“Don’t compare” is easier said than done. But it is about as wise as advice gets.
