Comparison is the thief of joy.
this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2025
487 points (96.9% liked)
Greentext
7253 readers
558 users here now
This is a place to share greentexts and witness the confounding life of Anon. If you're new to the Greentext community, think of it as a sort of zoo with Anon as the main attraction.
Be warned:
- Anon is often crazy.
- Anon is often depressed.
- Anon frequently shares thoughts that are immature, offensive, or incomprehensible.
If you find yourself getting angry (or god forbid, agreeing) with something Anon has said, you might be doing it wrong.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Comparing your real, everyday life to someone else's highlight reel is so much worse. I have been so much happier since getting rid of most social media. All the people I love, I can catch up with via phone calls.
that's bedbugs
Bro thinks Facebook is real life. Lmao
Yup, people only post the flattering moments.
That said, if OP wants kids, they don't seem to be on a path to get there.
He is likely stuck in a depressed cycle that makes it hard to do any of those things
Probably. They are on 4chan afterall, and you don't usually get that far down the rabbithole without being perennially online.
On the other hand: I read about the lives of random terrorists, mass shooters, and I instsntly feel so much better about myself, at least I'm not that fucked up lol
Fake: Anon cares about other people.
Gay: Anon stalks his highschool boyfriend long after breakup.
ngl, this is partially why I enjoyed deleting facebook in 2012. The ability to just impulsively compare myself to others is far too common on sites like that, so the freedom of not even having to worry about mistakenly glancing too long at an old friends profile is never a concern I have.
Same with LinkedIn. When you see someone who graduated in the same year as you, you will start comparing, it is not good…
load more comments
(1 replies)
The worst thing I ever did was get married and have kids. Now all grown and left, cept the special one, and I realize every day I could have pulled this misery and isolation off all by myself and would be surrounded by French Bulldogs and not regrets.
Yup, a wife and kids aren't for everyone.
I'm happily married with kids, but I tell people who ask to not have kids. The ones who want kids will ignore me, and the ones who don't won't guilt themselves into having them. Far too many people have kids they don't want.
One NPC believes he has failed at Life (TM) , as brought to you by Meta Corporation, believes other NPC is 'main character'.
Meanwhile, 'main character' quite likely is laboriously and neurotically curating and self-censoring his corporate social media profile precisely to present the appearance of succeeding at Life (TM) , as brought to you by Meta Corporation, and in reality is likely in financial arrears, isn't satisfied or happy with his job, feels like it is mostly bullshit work, and is probably overtired most of the time, having little ability to develop any skills or interests not directly related to his job.
In summary, the NPC management system continues to work as intended, convincing everyone that everyone else is more happy and succesful and fulfilled than themself, ensuring the vast majority of NPCs are too demoralized to be able to consider meaningfully changing the system.
Sure, if the race is to be a normie, then Anon NPC 1 missed the starting gun.
But if the race is to live a genuine, authentic, intentional life, to define what that even means, and then to pursue it, muchless be largely in control of it, with 'main character' levels of plot orientation and plot armor?
Chances are high that neither NPC has even figured out the location of the venue for that event.
... because that event is not a product offered or showcased by Meta Corporation.
When I have to describe social media... I do as follows.
There are 3 types of social media users.
1: Those with wealth who have no worries and can portray the image of living the simple life full of hobbies and joy... which is easy to do when you don't have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to pay the bills. they hoard wealth instead of giving. 2: Those that have no wealth and are desperately trying to convince others that they do, and that their life is so much better than yours. 3: The sheep that believe both of the above and would like to fit into one of those groups.
Meanwhile... the ones actually living the simple life, their best life, the relaxing life... aren't on corporate owner social media willing giving up their privacy and freedoms so a billionaire can get richer.
load more comments
(3 replies)
Sometimes it takes a while. Run your own race, not theirs. I didn't figure out what I wanted to do till I was 30. Before then I was absolutely anon, living in a room with a mattress, a PC and a pile of empty vodka bottles i sold plasma to pay for. Now I've got a career, a family, a home.
Dont compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own course to follow and their own struggles to get through.
I started transition in my early 30s, before that my plan was to kill myself. Now I’m trying to live the life I want, to be who I want.
I'm about to have my first child at 48. I wasn't ready before now.
Pardon me asking (and feel free to ignore): Isn’t that scary to have a child so late in life? I’m worried about the impact my age will have on my relationship with my kids and I’m roughly a decade younger.
I just don't see the point in worrying about it. I haven't been scared since I found out and Idon't think I will be now that's it's about 4 weeks away. I've been too busy buying and planning things and then I'll be too busy changing nappies.
I'm just going to get on with it and not worry about it. The good news is that I'm already waking up in the middle of the night for a pee so I'm somewhat practiced at that.
That doesn’t sound fair to the child?
You’ll be barely up to keep up with them by the time they’re 10 you’ll be 60 and close to retirement. You’ll probably die of old age before they ever get married or to have you around to help them figure out adulthood.
[same disclaimer] Was it planned?
We were trying, yes.
Also back to your relationship question that I probably didn't answer. I already know someone in advanced age with a kid and they have a great relationship. I haven't even considered it. As long as I live a while longer I'm sure I'll have a healthy relationship. I'm quite a chill person and young at heart and genuinely don't see that as an issue.
If anything I think it might even be better! I genuinely think it will be beneficial that I'm not trying to grow up at the same time as my kid and can act as a caring and relaxed parent without any additional stress.
Congratulations, and I wish the very best for you, your child, and your loved ones! :)
load more comments
(3 replies)
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(2 replies)
Yeah bro, how you spend your days is how you spend your life.
Clean and decorate your home. Develop a sense of style. Go out and do things and meet people. Challenge yourself to do something interesting every week. Talk to people, get out of your shell.
Sincerely, the first of her childhood friend group to get married
I think a similar way to say this is to always be trying new things and do self care. If you like a decorated house, decorate, but if you don't, do a different form of self care.
For me, it's more like:
- go hiking - I don't enjoy the journey, but i like the accomplishment of having done it
- lift weights - again, I'm not looking to be big or whatever, but weight lifting is easy to measure progress
- try new hobbies - not just video games, but drawing (completely failed), game dev (mlderate success), carpentry, juggling, uncycling, etc
- eliminate clutter that doesn't bring happiness and keep only stuff I value - I don't like decorations, but I do like certain items than have sentimental value
Make your own list, and make sure to include things that challenge and stretch you, because there's no joy like accomplishing something hard.
load more comments
(2 replies)
load more comments
(11 replies)
I’m married with a newborn, to the envy of my friends, who are all either single or in casual relationships. At the same time, I’ve got a shit job with shit pay and no education beyond high school, while all my friends are either working good jobs in their field or working on their masters degree. I’d love more than anything to have a steady job with good pay, even if it was a boring job, but with no education I don’t think that can happen. I’m very jealous of my friends and wish I could have what they have, meanwhile they look at me and say the same.
All that is to say, no one has it perfect, even if you think they’ve got everything you want, I can guarantee they wish they had something different, possibly something you’ve got. Don’t be so hard on yourself, comparing yourself to others.
Grass is always greener and whatnot
Offer them a 10% share of your newborn. They get a tenth of a kid (better than nothing), you get ~7k$ @ year. /jk
Don't waste your time on jealousy
Sometimes you're ahead
Sometimes you're behind
The race is long, and in the end
It's only with yourself[...]
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't
Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen), Baz Luhrmann
The race is long
and in the end is death. don't race your life to "get ahead". Take as much time as you desire.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Possibly not fake
Might even not be gay
Looking up men online? Absolutely gay.
On the other hand: I have the money and free time to afford and play any games that I want. Nothing dark about that.
I have kids, and I have the money but not time to play any game I want.
Everyone takes a different path in life, make sure you're working in the direction you want to go and are comfortable with the consequences of that choice. I am happy with my chosen lifestyle, but I've met plenty with a similar lifestyle and aren't happy.
I cheat my way through games, I may be losing some of the gameplay experience. But I like getting an hour to myself to play a game and not have to do repetitive in game tasks. Playing Roadcraft right now, and sure I could use the dump truck to drive back and forth to the sand pit 300 times or I could use a trainer, have unlimited sand and fill in anything that would prevent game progression. And increase the game speed so I can actually get things done in the small 60 minute timeframe I have. I envy those who can spend hours in the game getting absolutely nothing done.
Essentially nothing here sounds like main character. This could be the most miserable mofo in the world. Grass is always greener...
Better way to look at it, he did a speed run through the game and completed it with 30% of the whole game done... The other one is doing all of the side quests and extras so he can get 100%
More often than not, the friend is putting on a performance. I'm not saying people don't have happily ever afters, but I am saying that people mostly show the best part of whatever they do.
load more comments
(2 replies)
view more: next ›