Apples VS Oranges
Most of us have a favourite fruit, whether it’s mangoes, peaches, papaya, apples or oranges. Fruit comes in different colours, shapes, sizes and taste.
Just like fruits, we are different and unique in our own way. There is no one with same life experiences, beliefs, knowledge, attitude and awesomeness as you. We all are different fruits mixed together in a big basket called Earth.
Some of us are apples, strawberry, grapes or other fruits. We can’t compare an orange to an apple—I mean we can, but that would be dumb. It’s a personal opinion if we think one fruit is better than the other.
We all know the saying “apples and oranges,” as in two things that are not suited for comparison. Still we do this comparison all the time. We love comparing, for example, Messi vs Ronaldo, Crosby vs Ovechkin, Britney vs Christina, Beyoncé vs Rihanna and the list goes on. Yes, these are all people from similar fields of entertainment competing for similar audiences and trophies. But their individual styles are different.
Sometime Messi wins over Ronaldo and other times Ronaldo wins over Messi. The numbers change all the time. This comparison doesn’t end with others. We compare ourselves to others based on grades, sports, social or financial status and other similar things in our society to which we give importance. We feel insecure and worried if we don’t hold up to these standards of comparison in our lives.
Most of us are told since childhood that we are special, and that feeling is wonderful but I think that could be part of the problem. Is orange more special than apple? Being special gives us the feeling that we are better than others. On the other hand, being unique means we are different, not better.
Let’s assume two guys, ‘Ranch’ and ‘Ketchup’. Ranch has a girlfriend named ‘Pizza’. For some reason, Ranch and Pizza broke up and she started dating Ketchup. It made Ranch feel insecure. Now what would you suggest? Should Ranch start comparing himself to Ketchup and try to be like Ketchup, or should Ranch work to improve his own qualities?
If Ranch tried to be like Ketchup, he would lose his own taste and still not be like Ketchup. Our personalities and our qualities are part of us. They are what make us unique and different from others around us. It does not mean it’s better or less than others.
I would suggest that if you’re an apple, compare yourself to your previous self and not an orange.
