Correct and incorrect comparisons

There is a saying in America: Compare and despair! Many language students suffer, because the compare themselves with others.

Comparing yourself with others is part of human nature. As social animals, we want to know our place in the hierarchy. Dogs and monkeys do it, too.

There are productive and unproductive comparisons. Unproductive comparisons lead to failure. Language students give up completely. Productive comparisons lead to excellent performance.

Here is my theory: horizontal comparisons are bad, vertical comparisons are good.

What are horizontal comparisons? When you compare yourself with people from your own category.  If I as a German compare myself with other Germans that speak foreign languages. If you compare yourself with your classmates. The result is often: envy, frustration, feelings of injustice. You may want to avoid being in a class if the others students speak better than you do.

What are vertical comparisons? There are two types. You compare yourself with yourself; how you were yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, and one year ago. As long as you have improved, everything is fine.

And: you can compare yourself with someone from another category. With a native English speaker, for example. This way you will have a good role model, but you will not feel envy.