<p>Question/Prompt : Do people need to compare themselves with others in order to appreciate what they have?</p>
<p>Essay: When we see someone with something new, we often yearn for it, begging our parents to satisfy our unnecessary hunger. Human nature is such that we tend to always want more than everyone else; it makes us feel smug. The only way to get passed this con is to compare ourselves with others who are less fortunate.
I remember my first day of the fifth grade when I was quite satisfied with what I had. During a basketball game, I came across a boy who was wearing brand new Nike Air Jordans, and I immediately felt the self satisfaction melt away. The first thing I did when I got home was try to filibuster my parents to buy the shoes, making excuses about how my shoes were worn out. My parents didnt oblige and instead said that the shoes I had were find.
I felt frustrated and let down, knowing I would never get those shoes. But my mindset completely changed the next day when I spotted this boy at school with a pair of terribly worn shoes, with the soul almost completely detached. It was then I realized how fortunate I was to have shoes. I had to compare myself with another person to infer that I was better off than many others.
Humans inherent feature is such that they require a comparison to appreciate what they have. A longing for more can be satisfactorily quenched by taking a glance at what others have. Hence, we can gain appreciation about ourselves and what we have by looking at others.</p>