We are all more obsessed with our appearance than we like to admit. But this is not an indication of 'vanity'. Vanity means conceit, excessive pride in one's appearance. Concern about appearance is quite normal and understandable. Attractive people have distinct advantages in our society. Studies show: Attractive children are more popular, both with classmates and teachers. Teachers give higher evaluations to the work of attractive children and have higher expectations of them (which has […]

  From early childhood we are socialized, taught and influenced to compare ourselves to others, so we're rarely aware of how often we're doing it. Society, culture, religion and upbringing have been forcing us to look at others with feelings of superior and inferior, and forcing us into making comparisons instead of encouraging us to discover our own uniqueness. The desire to make comparisons with other people stems from a need for reassurance. As human […]

"Hi! My name is Maryam. I’m a 21-year-old college student. I moved to Canada with my family about four years ago. I always thought less of myself and thought other people were better than me. I used to compare myself to others and cared about their judgment. It was difficult for me to talk to people I didn’t know. Family members and friends told me that I was shy and lacked self-confidence. I didn’t always […]