Competitive Comparisons

Music is a competitive field, characterized by constant comparison between artists and even across genres. As a singer and prospective music minor myself, it can be difficult to avoid falling victim to these types of social comparisons. Particularly damaging can be upward social comparisons, or the comparison between ourselves and someone who is notably more talented than us. These can be a major blow to one’s self-esteem. Take it from someone who has spent her entire life comparing herself to her voice teachers (who have double the years of experience) or famous opera singers. Why do I do this you may ask? My best explanation is that it serves as an attempt to aim for the highest goals and to push myself to achieve my full potential. However, the constant upward social comparisons tend to have the opposite effect, leaving me feeling stuck with the constant feeling of being “worse” than someone.

Fortunately, social psychology has helped me to re-frame my comparisons related to music and has taught me the importance of comparing myself to people of similar ability, giving me the most accurate representation of where I stand. Moreover, employing a growth mindset, famously pioneered by Ainsworth, has been highly effective in allowing myself to acknowledge the time and energy devoted to my improvement. Adopting this mindset in which achievement is seen as a result of progress has helped me to continue growing without damaging my self-esteem.

Overall, the way in which we compare ourselves to others not only impacts our self-esteem, but also our performance moving forward. Being aware of the types of social comparisons and their relative impacts is valuable in supporting our personal growth.