Ever compared yourself favourably to someone who was short on luck or going through a bad patch? You’re not alone. We look at what’s behind this tendency towards downward comparison

Katya*, 45: ‘I don’t know why I do it, it’s a bit like doomscrolling. But when I see people in the news who have messed up, or whose relationships are on the rocks, I just feel a little better about my own messy life.’

That small boost of elation, that tiny buzz of selfrighteousness – as short-lived as it might be, sometimes, it’s all you need for a brief moment’s respite from your own chaotic life. This is downward comparison in action – the act of comparing yourself (more favourably) with someone who’s faring worse than you. That might be a celebrity, or even a friend. It’s enough to make you feel guilty, but if you were to admit it to yourself, might it also make you feel a little happy?

According to research carried out by three social psychologists – EA Pomery, FX Gibbons and ML Stock – and published in 2012, downward social comparison can be defined as: ‘…an emotional coping technique that can help one feel better in the short term, although it is often not the best longterm strategy for dealing with a threat.’

The threat is whatever is going on in your own life that’s causing pain or feelings of low self-worth. As the quote states, downward comparison is far from the ideal method for tackling life’s problems, but it’s a coping mechanism to which many turn as part of the human experience. There must be few people who could say they’d never had recourse to it for comfort, even if only for a fleeting moment. Most – like Katya – will have succumbed to it at some point. She says: "I remember specifically a friend coming to me for advice. She thought I had everything together and her life was falling apart. I really wasn’t doing that much better than her, but the fact she thought I was made me feel better about everything.’