Looking round that filthy room, with raw meat lying among the refuse on the floor, and cold, clotted saucepans sprawling everywhere, and the sink blocked and coated with grease, I used to wonder whether there could be a restaurant in the world as bad as ours. But the other three all said they had been in dirtier places.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Observing one's own poor conditions can lead to wondering if things could be worse, only to find others have experienced worse.
- In plain terms
- People normalize bad conditions by comparing them to worse ones.
- What can you take from it?
- Comparisons can lower standards unnecessarily.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does comparison affect your satisfaction?
- When is comparing to others unhelpful?
Another view
Sometimes context matters and comparisons are unfair.
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